The Meaning Behind the Higanbana Flower's Language: Flowers and Leaves Never Meet, Symbolizing Longing and Parting
Higanbana is the common name for a bulbous flower of the genus Lycoris in the amaryllis family, with the scientific name Lycoris radiata, also known as manjusaka, and it usually blooms in late summer and early autumn. Its most widely known flower meaning is longing and parting, and it is often used to express concern for someone who has passed away or for relatives and friends far away.
This meaning is closely tied to its unusual blooming habit. Higanbana blooms first and grows leaves later; during its flowering period only the flowers are seen and no leaves, and by the time the leaves emerge the flowers have long since withered, so the flower and the leaf can never meet. The ancients associated this with the parting of life and death, and thus gave it the meaning of being separated by life and death and of endless longing.
Higanbana of different flower colors have slightly different flower meanings as well. The red varieties are mostly associated with sorrowful memories and endless longing, the white varieties are often interpreted as purity and remembrance, while the yellow varieties carry more of a cheerful and auspicious connotation. Most of these ideas come from folk customs and cultural traditions, and understandings vary from place to place.
In Buddhist culture, the red higanbana is called manjusaka and is regarded as an auspicious flower; while in the folk customs of some regions, because it often grows by the water and in the fields, it has been given a somewhat mysterious color. Nowadays people mostly treat it as an ornamental flower, planting it in courtyards, under trees or in parks.
It should be noted that the bulbs of higanbana are toxic, so it is for viewing only and must never be eaten by mistake; households with young children or pets should place it somewhere not easily reached. After understanding its flower meaning, viewing the flower may let you appreciate its unique and profound beauty all the more.
