TUFTED FLOWERS

At first glance, the flowers look like bunches of grapes.

“Benibana-Asebi” or Japanese Andromeda planted in front of the entrance of a private home in NISHIOGI. The tree is an evergreen shrub originated in Japan.

The kanji character of this tree, 馬酔木, is said to come from the fact that the leaves and stems are poisonous, and that when horses eat them, they become drunk and stagger about.

Incidentally, in the world of haiku, “Asebi flower” is a spring seasonal word.

房状の花

一瞬、鈴なりのブドウの房かと思えるような花姿です。

西荻の民家の玄関前に植栽されている「ベニバナアセビ（紅花馬酔木）」。日本原産の常緑低木。

漢字の「馬酔木」は、葉や茎が有毒で、馬がこれを食べると酔っぱらったようにふらつくことに由来するそうです。

因みに、「馬酔木の花」は俳句の世界では、春の季語になっています。