[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-148079-en":3,"doc-seo-148079-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},148079,549768702563,"Fahsai","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/8000c4aa63b76e948b?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786536092046926083",10,"Lifestyle","Noteworthy Plants of the Seattle Japanese Garden - 2025 - Paulownia and Prunus mume","A 2025 guide to noteworthy plants in the Seattle Japanese Garden, focused on Paulownia and Prunus mume (ume). It explains botanical features such as Paulownia’s tall deciduous growth, spring flowering, fragrant foxglove-like blossoms, and edible flowers, plus detailed uses of its lightweight, porous wood. The text also covers ume’s cultural role in Japan, clarifying common misnomers, describing its fragrant winter blooms, and linking pruning, symbolism, and culinary traditions like umeboshi and umeshu.","Noteworthy Plants  \nof the Seattle Japanese Garden  \n2025  \nJapanese Garden Plant Areas  \nPine  \nGinkgo biloba  \nPaulownia  \nPaulownia tomentosa is a very tall deciduous hardwood tree that’s grown for its lovely display of spring flowers and as a source of lumber. Common names include empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, or simply paulownia. It is native to central and western China. Cultivation of paulownia in Japan, where it is known as kiri, dates to 200 C.E.  \nThe genus word, Paulownia, is a reference to the Russian Princess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Tsar Paul I. The hairy nature of its leaves gives this tree its species name, tomentosa.  \nEmpress tree is fast growing to 40-60 feet tall at maturity. Flower buds are formed in autumn and blooming begins in May, asthe leaves open. The individual foxglovelike flowers are up to two inches long and held in large panicles. Sweetly fragrant, they have a vanilla-like scent. Because species trees have characteristics that vary from one tree to another, flower colors vary from pale purple to pinkish-lavender, often with purple and yellow markings inside.  \nPhoto by Aleks Monk  \nThe flowers are edible and sometimes used in salads. Fruits are dry, brown, two-valved capsules, 1-2 inches long with up to 2000 small, winged seeds.  \nSymbolism  \nTraditionally, when Japanese couples have a daughter, they plant a paulownia tree. When the daughter is ready to marry, they cut down the tree and use its wood to make a dowry chest, furniture, and other items for wedding gifts. Ancient lore has it that if they planted this tree near their house, the legendary Phoenix would come across their land, bringing wisdom and prosperity to their household.  \nDuring Japan’s Heian period (794-1185 C.E.), the color purple was considered a royal color, and so paulownia trees were planted at the Imperial Palace. The paulownia flower pattern with 5-7-5 leaves is reserved for the symbol of the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan. The Tale of Genji, the world’s first novel, is the centerpiece of Heian literature, and paulownia is an abiding presence within the novel.  \nCommercial Value  \nPaulownia has the lightest wood of any tree in Japan. It is used to make chests and also to line safes because its wood cells are very porous, making it heat and fire resistant. The wood is burned to make charcoal for sketching and powder for fireworks, the bark is made into a dye, and the leaves are used to make vermicides (especially those used to kill parasitic intestinal worms) . It also has excellent acoustic properties and is used to make musical instruments such asthe Japanese koto and the Korean zithers. The seed pods were often used as packing material, like the foam peanuts used in modern times.  \nIn the Seattle Japanese Garden  \nOur paulownia tree grows outside the Garden entrance next to the Fukuda memorial stone and plaque.  \nIt was planted in 1987 when a rock display with plaque was installed there in honor of James K. Fukuda, the Japanese Consulate’s Cultural Affairs Liaison. Fukuda was bilingual, served as Garden designer Jūki Iida’s full-time translator, and was instrumental in facilitating communication among the Garden’s Japanese designers and its Japanese American builders.  \nPhoto by Aleks Monk  \nPrunus mume  \nPrunus mume is an iconic flowering tree in the culture and gardens of Japan, where it is known as ume. Native to China, and known there as mei, it has long been cultivated in both countries—beloved for its delicate, very fragrant winter flowers and prized for the many culinary uses of its small, velvety, yellow fruits.  \nUnfortunately, this early-flowering tree has a plethora of English common names and is most often inaccurately referred to as a “flowering plum.” [Other English common names include Chinese plum, plum blossom, Japanese plum, Japanese flowering plum, Japanese flowering apricot, and flowering apricot.] However, it’s neither a plum (botanically speaking, it’s more closely related to","cbCaivE7mylXeQs1","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivE7mylXeQs1","pdf",4644862,1,30,"English","en",105,"# Japanese Garden Plant Areas\n## Paulownia\n## Symbolism\n## Commercial Value\n## In the Seattle Japanese Garden\n## Prunus mume (Ume)\n## Symbolism","[{\"question\":\"What are the key characteristics of Paulownia described in the guide?\",\"answer\":\"Paulownia is a very tall deciduous hardwood tree with fragrant, foxglove-like flowers that bloom in May. Flower color varies from pale purple to pinkish-lavender, and the flowers are edible. Fruits are dry, brown, two-valved capsules with many small winged seeds.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the guide explain Paulownia’s cultural symbolism in Japan?\",\"answer\":\"When Japanese couples have a daughter, they plant paulownia and later cut the tree for wedding dowry items. The text also links purple flowers and the 5-7-5 leaf pattern to prestige and to the Prime Minister’s office symbol, noting the plant’s presence in Heian literature.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the guide recommend calling Prunus mume “flowering apricot” instead of “flowering plum”?\",\"answer\":\"The guide states that Prunus mume is not botanically a plum and is not indigenous to Japan. It also emphasizes the tree’s winter flowering and many culinary uses tied to Japan’s ume traditions.\"}]","Noteworthy Plants of the Seattle Japanese Garden - 2025 - Paulownia and Prunus mume | PDF",1787774755,46,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"noteworthy-plants-of-the-seattle-japanese-garden-2025-paulownia-and-prunus-mume","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,54,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/lifestyle/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/noteworthy-plants-of-the-seattle-japanese-garden-2025-paulownia-and-prunus-mume/148079/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-26",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What are the key characteristics of Paulownia described in the guide?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Paulownia is a very tall deciduous hardwood tree with fragrant, foxglove-like flowers that bloom in May. Flower color varies from pale purple to pinkish-lavender, and the flowers are edible. Fruits are dry, brown, two-valved capsules with many small winged seeds.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"How does the guide explain Paulownia’s cultural symbolism in Japan?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"When Japanese couples have a daughter, they plant paulownia and later cut the tree for wedding dowry items. The text also links purple flowers and the 5-7-5 leaf pattern to prestige and to the Prime Minister’s office symbol, noting the plant’s presence in Heian literature.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"Why does the guide recommend calling Prunus mume “flowering apricot” instead of “flowering plum”?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"The guide states that Prunus mume is not botanically a plum and is not indigenous to Japan. It also emphasizes the tree’s winter flowering and many culinary uses tied to Japan’s ume traditions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,101,105,110,115,120,124,129,132,134],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":121,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":122,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":123},8,"Research & Report","research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":133},"lifestyle",{"id":135,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":136,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":137},19,"General","general"]