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Description of Flora

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  • Akatetsu/Sapotaceae

    　Akatetsu, or Sapotaceae is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Sapodilla family. It grows over lime stone formations along the coasts or in house forests. It produces oval-shaped fruit with a few black seeds. Flowers blossom from April to June.

  • Akou/Ficus superba

    　Akou, or Ficus superba is a tall tree belonging to the fig family. It grows in rocky coastal areas and in areas of limestone, reaching over 15 meters tall and 1 meter in diameter. This unique ornamental tree has a deciduous period in summer months. The light-purple fruit has white spots.

  • Itobasho/Musa balbisiana Colla

    　Itobasho, or Musa balbisiana Colla belongs to the Musaceae family, growing in areas extending from eastern India to Melanesia. Its inflorescence and pseudostem are edible. Bashofu (textile) is made from fiber extracted from the pseudostem.

  • Inumaki/Podocarpus macrophyllus

    　Inumaki, or Podocarpus macrophyllus is a plant belonging to the Podocarpaceae family. Dispersed over mainland Japan and Okinawa, it has reddish-purple seed cones that mature in fall. This plant is commonly seen along the coasts. Flowers blossom from March to April.

  • Urajiro-enoki/Trema orientalis

    　Urajiro-enoki, or Trema orientalis is a medium-tall evergreen tree of the Ulmaceae family, found on mountain sides or in forests, growing up to 15m tall and 60cm wide. Sawtooth leaves grow on the gray-white stems, and the tree produces a black fruit.

  • Ohamabo/Hibiscus tiliaceus

    　Ohamabo, or Hibiscus tiliaceus is a shrub of the family Malvaceae. Also known as Yuna in Okinawan dialect, it is planted on sandy soil in coastal areas to act as a flood barrier, or in a yard to create shade. It produces light yellow flowers at the top of each branch.

  • Gajumaru/Ficus microcarpa (Banyan)

    　Gajumaru, or Ficus microcarpa is an evergreen tree of the fig family. Naturally growing along the coast of Okinawa, it has aerial roots that over time form a unique tree structure. This species is widely used for wind breaks, in parks and gardens, and to line streets.

  • Kanhi-zakura/Prunus campanulata

    　Kanhi-zakura, or Prunus campanulata is a deciduous tree that belongs to the Rosaceae family, growing up to 8 meters tall. It produces two to three deep rose-pink, bell-shaped flowers in a cluster dropping downward below the leaves.

  • Gekkitsu/Murraya paniculata

    　Gekkitsu, or Murraya paniculata is an evergreen tree of the Citrus family, and grows naturally on limestone formations in Okinawa. Known as Gigichi in the local dialect, the plant bears white, fragrant flowers, and is commonly used for landscaping, hedges and street trees.

  • Getto/Alpinia zerumbet

    　Getto, or Alpinia zerumbet is a plant of the ginger family that grows in wilderness, at the foot of mountains or around crop fields. It bears magnificent flowers in clusters. The leaves are used locally for wrapping Onimochi (steamed rice cake).

  • Sarusuberi/Lagerstroemia indica (Crape-myrtle)

    　Native to southern China and India, Sarusuberi, or Lagerstroemia indica is a deciduous shrub of the Lythraceae family. The bark is reddish brown. Its Japanese name of Sarusuberi (monkey slide) comes from the slippery, smooth-surface of the trunk. It bears pink or white flowers that blossom from June to September.

  • Sharinbai/Haphiolepis umbellate

    　Sharinbai, or Haphiolepis umbellate is an ornamental plant of the rose family. The Japanese name, Sharinbai, consists of several Chinese characters—car, wheel and plum. It grows primarily along the coasts of mainland Japan and Kyushu. Flowers bloom in May.

  • Sendan/Melia azedarach (White Cedar)

    　Sendan, or Melia azedarach is a deciduous tree belonging to the Meliaceae or Mahogany family, and naturally growing on mountain fields. Also known as Jindangi in Japanese, it grows quite large in a short period of time. It is widely used for furniture, buildings, as well as in parks and streets.

  • Tsuwabuki/Farfugium japonicum

    　Tsuwabuki, or Farfugium japonicum is a perennial evergreen plant of the asteracea family, which grows over mountain fields. It has shiny, heart-shaped leaves that are soft and fleshy. The plant has stalks growing to about 60cm in height in late fall that produce clusters of yellow flowers.

  • Terihaboku/Calophyllum inophyllum

    　Terihaboku, or Calophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen tree of the Clusiaceae family, and grows along the sea coasts. Once polished, the wood surface has a beautiful sheen and is ideal for high-quality furniture. The flowers, which bloom from May to June, are white, and the fruit contains one large seed.

  • Hihatsu-modoki/Piper retorofractum

    　Hihatsu-modoki, or Piper retorofractum is an evergreen vine of the Piperaceae family. Distributed across Java, Sumatra, and Thailand, it is known locally as Hihachi-chi. It has aerial roots that protude from the stalks, and can attach itself to surfaces such as concrete and stone. For this reason it can be used in wall greenery, lending a sense of rustic beauty.

  • Birou/Livistona chinensis

    　Birou, or Livistona chinensis is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Arecales family. The Livistona chinensis is a stand-alone tree that supports itself from the roots up to the leaves, and grows to over 10 meters tall. The leaves are divided into several segments that droop downward. The tree bears oval-shaped fruit that turns from green to blackish purple.

  • Fukugi/Garcinia subelliptica

    　Fukugi, or Garcinia subelliptica is an evergreen tree of the Clusiaceae family. It has tough, fleshy leaves, and a cylindrical trunk that grows upright. In old Okinawa, Garcinia subelliptica was planted to block strong winds. The bark of Garcinia subelliptica has been used as a source of a reddish dye. Its flowers bloom from May to June.

  • Fukumangi/Carmona retusa

    　Fukumangi, or Carmona retusa is an evergreen shrub of the Boraginaceae family. It grows on limestone formations, reaching 1 to 3 meters tall. It has bristly leaves, and produces white flowers, and globular, orangey yellow fruit.

  • Hoteichiku/Phyllostachys aurea (Golden bamboo)

    　Hoteihiku, or Phyllostachys Aurea belongs to the Poaceae family. Seen across China, its Japanese name consists of the Chinese characters for cloth, bag and bamboo. The name originated in the fact that the plant’s thick stem internodes resemble Hotei, one of the Seven Lucky Gods.

  • Masaki/Euonymus japonicus

    　Masaki, or Euonymus japonicus is a species of the family Celastraceae. Found over limestone formations and in rocky coastal areas, it is often used for landscaping. Growing as high as 3 meters, it produces small, greenish-white flowers on long branches.

  • Momo/Amygdalus persica (Peach)

    　Momo, or Amygdalus persica belongs to the Rosaceae family. There are a number of varieties for this species, which are classified into two types—orchard plants and ornamental plants. Flowers blossom from March to April.

  • Ryukyu Kokutan/Ryukyu symplocaceae

    　Ryukyu Kokutan, or Ryukyu symplocaceae is an evergreen tree of the Ebenaceae family, growing to 10 meters tall. It naturally grows in Yaeyama and Yonaguni Island, but is mostly used as landscaping plants on mainland Okinawa. The heartwood of the tree is used as rods for Shamisen. Its flowers blossom from May to June.