FROM THE GARDEN OF ZEN: March 2026

March 12, 2026

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Ume flowers quietly herald the stealthy arrival of spring with their modest beauty and fragrance, while sakura flowers let us know the prime of spring clearly with their magnificent splendor.

The ume flowers have already passed their days of glory and their elegant figures and aromas are beginning to fade quickly. Early-blooming sakura flowers are now appearing successively as the symbolic successors of spring flowers. Mercifully, it makes me forget the sadness of seeing the plum flowers fade away.

The Tamanawa-zakura is an early-blooming cultivar native to Kamakura City. It was developed in 1969 at the Ofuna Flower Center through a natural, accidental mating between the Somei-Yoshino zakura and early-blooming Ookan zakura. "Tamanawa" is the old name of the location where this flower center is situated. This beautiful flower born as a result of God's whim fully blooms from late February to mid-March.

Its distinctive features include a pale pink color similar to that of the Somei-Yoshino zakura and a long blooming period (approximately one month). As a spring flower representing Kamakura, it is widely planted in temples, shrines, and parks throughout this ancient city.

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Under the lightly overcast sky, Tamanawa-zakura flowers are quietly beginning to open as if to timidly confirm that spring has just arrived here. These earliest flowers are modestly emerging into the chilly world and presenting their precious, ephemeral beauty to us.

The flowering of plants is a comprehensive phenomenon that occurs only when the plant’s memory of its environment throughout the year can satisfy its internal flowering requirements.

Flower buds grow quietly from summer to fall. In winter, the plant goes dormant and experiences cold temperatures. In early spring, the plants sense the increase of temperature and sunlight, which causes their buds to swell. Finally, the flower opens with the help of water in its flowering time.

Water promotes cell swelling in plants, causing the petals to expand by increasing turgor pressure. Water rapidly flows into the flower’s cells and expands their volume, which causes the petals to open and leads to full bloom.

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Ume flowers quietly herald the end of long winter and the inconspicuous arrival of early spring, while Sakura flowers impress the upsurge of spring and the vibrant renewal of life. Spring is the spirited season refreshing every living thing with vitality, awakening it from its dormancy and ushering in a lively time of regeneration and regrowth.

I heartily welcome the fickle arrival of long-awaited spring winds. But I worry that its capricious nature might cause the newly-bloomed spring flowers to scatter prematurely. The spring weather is unpredictable, with wild fluctuations in temperature and sudden gusts of wind and rain showers.

Just as the various creatures that have eagerly awaited the auspicious spring winds, enduring the winter cold and hunger, I am watching anxiously the shifting passage of this beautiful season.

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Kinkacha (Camellia chrysantha) flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

The evergreen shrub known as Kinkacha (Camellia japonica var. flavescens) is native to southern China and Vietnam. Kinkacha means "golden-flower tea tree." It is a general term for yellow-flowered camellias and is classified under the Kinkacha group.

It was introduced to Japan around 1980 and attracted attention as the “mythical golden-flowered camellia” because the yellow coloration is not found in native Japanese camellia species.

When it was discovered in 1965, it became a sensation known as the “phantom yellow camellia.” At the time, it was so rare that it was treated as the "panda of the plant kingdom" in China and was considered so precious that its export was prohibited.

It produces thick, vivid golden-yellow flowers at leaf axils and branch tips. Although its Japanese name includes the character for “tea” (cha), it is not a green tea tree, and its leaf is unsuitable for drinking.

The dried flower of kinka-cha is a traditional herbal tea known for its beautiful golden petals. This flower tea, with its elegant and gentle aroma, offers numerous health benefits alongside its natural beauty. According to traditional medicine, it is said that it helps reduce body heat, has detoxifying properties, and can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.