Cluster amaryllis called 曼殊沙華

When it comes to autumn, the flowers called cluster amaryllis are in bloom suddenly. In Japan this year, this flower started to bloom at the end of September. Compared to usual years, it was delayed. That's because this summer was super hot. Maybe it is influenced by global warming.

We call this flower “曼殊沙華/Manjyusyage” in Japanese. This word is from Buddhism. And this word is also pronounced Manjyusaka too. The meaning of this word is the flower blooming in heaven.

And this word is often used in Haiku. For example this Haiku, I want to introduce you.

西国の畔曼殊沙華曼殊沙華　（森澄雄）

A very famous poet called Mori Sumio wrote this Haiku. The meaning of this Haiku is this. 西国/Saigoku means the west region of Japan. I mean, the region is more western than Kyoto. 畔/Aze means the besides of rice fields. This poet wanted to describe the landscape where many cluster amaryllis are blooming beside rice fields in the western Japan. When he sang this Haiku, he must have been traveling in the region.

I don’t know why cluster amaryllis bloom a lot beside rice fields in Japan. Or, we often see the landscape where this flower is blooming beside rivers. And, as you call it “cluster”, this flower is necessarily in bloom as a cluster. It’s interesting.

There are also yellow flowers in this plant. In my garden, yellow cluster amaryllis is in bloom now.