百日紅が咲いている The Slippery Monkey Trees in bloom

2008.08.18: 季節 Seasons

Sarusuberi blooming at the top of Joe Mountain behind Togura Kamiyamada Onsen

戸倉上山田温泉の上の城山の百日紅(猿滑・サルスベリ)の木が綺麗に咲いています。名前通り、百日日間も咲きますかな?まあ、見事の夏の花です。
There is a type of tree here that fascinates me. It's called 'Saru-Suberi', which literally means 'Monkey Slips', a reference to the smooth bark that is so slippery even a monkey couldn't climb it. But the Kanji (Chinese Characters) for it literally mean '100 days red', apparently referring to it's flowers that bloom for a long time (seemingly 100 days). The bark is a beautiful pattern of slipperiness, and the red blooms certainly brighten the dog days of summer.





コメントを残す

メールアドレスが公開されることはありません。 * が付いている欄は必須項目です