Azalea (tsutsuji, satsuki)

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Azalea (tsutsuji) ,
Rhododendron (shakunage)

***** Location: Japan, other countries
***** Season:
.. .. .. .. .. Tsutsuji: Late Spring
.. .. .. .. .. Satsuki : Mid-Summer

***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Azalea 躑躅　つつじ　Rhododendron Family.

Mountain Azaleas, yama tsutsuji 山躑躅
Clover-like Azalea, renge tsutsuki 蓮華躑躅
Morninglight Azalea, akebono tsutsuji
Big Violet Azalea, oomurasaki 大紫
Unzen Tsutsuji 　Mt. Unzen Azaleas, 雲仙躑躅




More Pictures are here:

http://www.d5.dion.ne.jp/~nasukusi/tsutsugi.files/02-5.jpg
http://www.d5.dion.ne.jp/~nasukusi/tsutsugi.files/02-2-1.jpg
http://www.d5.dion.ne.jp/~nasukusi/tsutsugi.files/02-2-2.jpg

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Tsutsuji
is the most general term in Japanese for evergreen and deciduous azaleas. One evergreen late-blossoming species called satsuki is distinguished from other azaleas, though it is also referred to as satsuki tsutsuji. Azaleas have been cultivated in Japan since the Kamakura period ( 1185-1333 ), particularly during the Edo period ( 1600-1868 ).
http://www.yoursourceinjapan.com/motifs.htm


There are many Azalea Parks in Japan. Tsutsuji kooen躑躅公園, tsutsuji-ga-oka躑躅が丘
http://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp/tsutsuji/


Click on any of the pictures for a big image.
http://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp/tsutsuji/02.html


Big Purple Azalea, Oo-murasaki-tsutsuji
大紫躑躅 Rhododendron pulchrum

This is the type with the biggest flowers, blooming from end of April till May. For short it is called “Oo-murasaki”, the Big Violet One”. It is part of the flower family of Hirado Tsutsuji, the Azaleas from Hirado.

Azaleas have been the subject of poetry since the times of the Manyoo-shuu　万葉集。Since the flowers are in one row, flowering one after another, the first reading of the name was “tsuzuki”, to follow, which then changed to the somehow softer pronounciastion of “tsutsuji”.

At present there are more than 300 different kinds growing in Japan.
http://www.hana300.com/oomura.html


More pictures about different types of Azalea in Tokyo.
http://www.hana300.com/tutuji1.html
http://www.hana300.com/tutuji2.html
http://www.hana300.com/tutuji3.html
http://www.hana300.com/tutuji4.html


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Mountain Azaleas, Yama-tsutsuji
山躑躅 Rhododendron Kaempferi

Mostly wild in the forests of Japan.



More pictures are here:
http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGarden/HTMLs/yamatutuji.html
http://www.geocities.jp/mtmt1952/pf-2003-05-06-yamatutuji.htm
http://members.stvnet.home.ne.jp/kubookada-k/yamatutuji.html


Korean Wild Azaleas
http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGarden/HTMLs/chousen-yamatutuji.html

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Worldwide use

USA
any species of the genus Rhododendron, North American and Asian shrubs of the family Ericaceae ( heath family) that are distinguished by the usually deciduous leaves. Azaleas are handsome shrubs with large clusters of pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, or white flowers. The better-known native American azaleas, often cultivated, include the flame azalea ( R. calendulacea ) of the Appalachians; the pinxter flower ( R. nudiflora ) and the fragrant white azalea, or swamp honeysuckle ( R. viscosa ), of the E United States; and the Western azalea ( R. occidentalis ) of California and Oregon.

Most azaleas grow in damp, acid soils of hills or mountains. The rose-purple R. canadense, a rare species with an unusually northerly range (from Pennsylvania to Newfoundland) is the rhodora immortalized by Emerson.

Many of the brilliantly flowered garden varieties are native to China and Japan, where the genus is most abundantly represented. The popular Ghent azaleas are hybrids. Dwarf azaleas are grown by florists as pot plants. Azaleas are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Ericales, family Ericaceae.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/a1/azalea.asp

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when the azaleas bloom here, it means the hummingbirds will have made it here, in their migration to points north to nest. they are attracted to red flowers, or to red sugar water.

first azalea
filling the hummingbird feeder
with scarlet nectar

susan delphine delaney

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Things found on the way


Beautiful drawings of flowers by Taro
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milano-Aoyama/8403/omo.hana3.html


http://www.bonsaisite.com/satsuki.html

http://www.ncazaleafestival.org/AboutUs.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea

http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/AzaleaGallery/

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HAIKU

out my window-
azaleas
in full bloom

Kate Steere

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Three famous Japanese Haiku about the Azaleas

(1) つつじいけて其陰（そのかげ）に 干鱈（ひだらさく女）
松尾芭蕉 Basho

(2) 百両の 石にもまけぬ つつじ哉（かな）
小林一茶 Issa

(3) 近道へ 出てうれし野の 躑躅かな
与謝蕪村 Buson
http://www.hana300.com/oomura.html
http://www.h6.dion.ne.jp/~sa3270/HM.tutuji.htm

(1) A woman under the azaleas placed in the pot, tearing up dried cod.
© Translation R.H.Blyth

Link with more versions of the translation, page by Dimitri Smirnow, with Russian translations.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dmitrismirnov/BASHO_Haiku_T1.html


(2) Issa and his Azalea Haiku

just as wonderful
as the expensive garden stone...
azaleas

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/searchissa.php?s_string=azalea&sorter=date
http://www.janis.or.jp/users/kyodoshi/issaku-06.htm


(3) Buson

taking a shortcut -
how charming
azaleas in the fields

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

http://www.nime.ac.jp/~saga/txtbuson.html


Another one by Buson

Azaleas are blooming;
In this remote mountain village
The boiled rice is white.

http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~loudon/favs.htm


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torch azaleas
shine naturally on
the imperial copse

http://slimey.cocolog-nifty.com/haiku/2004/04/

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azaleas bloom
by the temple door
a bell rings

Patricia A. Laurent
http://shiki1.cc.ehime-u.ac.jp/~shiki/kukai/kukai13-1.html


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The Haiku Photo Gallery has a nice collection of Azalea Haiku.

………smiles and laughter
………the azaleas are blooming
………deep in the hills

Robert Leechford
http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/PH_detail?photo_sn_in=862

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do not worry
about the fires of hell -
Azalea, Azalea


sorge Dich nicht
um das Höllenfeuer -
Azaleen, Azaleen

© Photo and Haiku by Gabi Greve

Read more about this impressive Buddhastatue in my garden.

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Hana fukaku Tsutsuji miru ho o utsushikeri

My foot go into
deeper deeper
view of Azalea


Mankai no satsuki suimen ni teru gotoshi

full of Azalea
like blooming
on water

(Tr. Etsuko Yanagibori)

Hisajo Sugita (1890 ~ 1946)
http://www.big.or.jp/~loupe/links/ehisto/ehisajo.shtml


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Related words


***** Summer Azaleas, Satsuki (kigo for mid-summer)
Satsuki is also a name for girls born in May.

A fine gallery of Satsuki Bonsai.


http://www.nsknet.or.jp/~ja2br/

For example, to enjoy the red leaves of tiny Azaleas.
http://www.nsknet.or.jp/~ja2br/kouyou.html
http://www.nsknet.or.jp/~ja2br/mafuyukoyo.html

Toms Bonsai Collection
http://www.nsknet.or.jp/~ja2br/fromfriend.html

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***** rhododendron, shakunage
石南花 (しゃくなげ)
石楠花（しゃくなげ）、石楠（しゃくなげ）
シャクナゲ, sekinan ( 石南 せきなん)

kigo for early summer




These flowers also came from the Himalayas via China to Japan. They show a strong life energy. They come in various colors, like white,yellow, pink, orange, violet and others.

Port Townsend Rhody Festival



Saga Dawa—
rhododendrons
at their best

Karma Tenzing Wangchuk
Kigo Hotline, 2008





Saga Dawa / Vesak is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists.
The exact date of Vesak varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon Uposatha day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month). In China it is the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, coinciding with the first full moon of that month.
The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar but falls in April or May.

Saga Dawa Buddha's Birthday
kigo for early summer



Her wrinkled fingers
on the rudraksh rosary--
Buddha Purnima

Today is Buddha Purnima, Lord Buddha's Birth day.

©　Ram Krishna Singh India 2008


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