Earlier in the year, to coincide with a period in the traditional calendar known as 'fuki-no-hana saku' (款冬華 'butterburs bud' - January 20-24th), Nona (のな) created a special sweet called 'fuki-no-hana' (ふきの花). It mimicked the head of a butterbur flower.

#wagashi #和菓子 #butterbur #Japan

There is a small butterbur patch beside the backyard shed, so today we harvested a few of the fuki for a mid-morning tempura snack.

For a taste of spring...dip in batter, flash fry and enjoy with a simple sprinkling of salt😋🧂🍤👏✨
#菜蕗 #butterbur #Japan #tempura #天ぷら

Coleosporium petasitis ex Petasites hybridus

#Petasiteshybridus #Petasites #GewöhnlichePestwurz #butterbur #Grandpétasite #farfaracciomaggiore #Coleosporiumpetasitis #Coleosporium #Rustfungus #Rust #Rostpilz #Rost #Fungus #Phytopathology #FungiFriends #Nature

Didymium tussilaginis on Petasites hybridus leaves

#Didymiumtussilaginis #Didymium #Petasiteshybridus #Petasites #Pestwurz #butterbur #farfaraccio #pétasite #Schleimpilz #Myxomyzet #myxomycete #nature #FungiFriends

Earlier in the year, to coincide with a period in the traditional calendar known as 'fuki-no-hana saku' (款冬華 'butterburs bud' - January 20-24th), Nona (のな) created a special sweet called 'fuki-no-hana' (ふきの花). It mimicked the head of a butterbur flower.

#butterbur #wagashi #和菓子 #sweets #japanesesweets #Kyoto #京都

There is a small butterbur patch beside the backyard shed, so today we harvested a few of the fuki for a mid-morning tempura snack.

For a taste of spring...dip in batter, flash fry and enjoy with a simple sprinkling of salt😋🧂🍤👏✨

#菜蕗 #butterbur #Japan #tempura #天ぷら

Spring is heralded in Japan by many different plants and flowers, but one of the most keenly anticipated is 'fuki' (菜蕗), the 'giant butterbur'.

As soon as the shoots appear, they are plucked from the ground and cooked as a delicacy.

We have a little patch growing in the back yard.

#Kyoto #Japan #菜蕗 #京都 #butterbur

🌿BUTTERBUR & NANOHANA💛

In early spring, before our thoughts are dominated by the cherry blossoms, canola flowers begin to carpet the countryside.

Praise Buddha!
my little side-field
has bloomed with rape
なむあみだおれがほまちの菜も咲た
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶), 1812.
Trans. David Lanoue.

#canola #rapeseed #菜の花 #butterbur #Kyoto #京都 #wagashi #和菓子 #菜蕗

So I did some more reading and I finally remembered that I had already seen female #butterbur flowers.
This is a picture I took a couple of years ago. It does look different!
#botany #naturephotography

So here are some closeups of the flowers of the #butterbur.
I might be stupid, but I can't recognise if they are male or female.....
#macrophotography #nature #botany

The flowers of the #butterbur are starting to emerge at the side of the river. I alsways think they look somewhat ugly from afar.
But really nice if you take a closer look.
I've also read, that male and female flowers are on different plants. I didn't know that during my walk, so I'll have to have an even closer look next time 🙂
#nature #naturephotography #botany

Winter Heliotrope, Petasites fragrans #Asteraceae -- in flower at Phoenix Gardens, a wonderful sanctuary behind busy shopping streets, close to St Giles in the Fields, London. It is a close relative of #Butterbur, a plant I would like to see more often. #WildFlowerHour because all tamed flowers are wild somewhere, this has been naturalising since C19 #FlowerReport *dioecious (usually male I think), grows from rhizomes