Skip to content
Kotomora

蓬

sagebrush, wormwood, mugwort

StatusJinmeiyōStrokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ホウ
  • ブ

Kun'yomi

  • よもぎ

Meaning

蓬 centers on aromatic, often weedy plants from the Artemisia genus: sagebrush, wormwood, and mugwort. These are typically bushy, hardy plants with a strong scent.

Most common words using 蓬

20 of 26
  • 蓬莱ほうらい

    Mount Penglai; Penglai Island; enchanted land of perpetual youth from Chinese mythology

  • 蓬よもぎ

    Japanese mugwort (Artemisia princeps)

  • 蓬生よもぎう

    wasteland; area overgrown with weeds

  • 三蓬莱さんほうらい

    the three sacred mountains: Fuji, Atsuta, and Kumano

  • 大蓬おおよもぎ

    Artemisia montana

  • 姫昔蓬ひめむかしよもぎ

    horseweed (Conyza canadensis); Canadian horseweed; Canadian fleabane; coltstail; marestail; butterweed

  • 山蓬やまよもぎ

    Artemisia montana

  • 弊衣蓬髪へいいほうはつ

    unkempt hair and shabby clothes

  • 数咲き蓬かずざきよもぎ

    Japanese mugwort (Artemisia princeps)

  • 朝鮮蓬ちょうせんよもぎ

    Chinese mugwort (Artemisia argyi); Argy wormwood; Argy's wormwood

  • 河原蓬かわらよもぎ

    capillary artemisia (Artemisia capillaris); yin-chen wormwood

  • 灰色蓬はいいろよもぎ

    Artemisia sieversiana

  • 背高蓬せいたかよもぎ

    Artemisia selengensis

  • 蓬が島よもぎがしま

    Mount Penglai

  • 蓬けるほおける

    to to become frayed and dishevelled (of hair, grass, etc.); to be fluffy

  • 蓬客ほうかく

    wanderer; drifter

  • 蓬窓ほうそう

    window with a view of a Japanese mugwort thicket

  • 蓬莱竹ほうらいちく

    hedge bamboo (Bambusa multiplex); golden goddess bamboo

  • 蓬莱羊歯ほうらいしだ

    Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris); black maidenhair fern; Venus hair fern

  • 蓬莱蕉ほうらいしょう

    Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa); split-leaf philodendron; cerimen; Mexican breadfruit; fruit salad plant

Explore all words using 蓬 →

Study

Etymology

蓬 combines the grass radical 艹 with 逢, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a specific type of weedy plant, now associated with Artemisia species.

Meaning mnemonic

The grass radical 艹 sits above 逢, like a bushy weed growing tall. Picture a field of aromatic sagebrush with feathery leaves.

Reading mnemonic

For ホウ, imagine a hoe (ホウ) cutting through thick mugwort: the hoe sound cues ホウ while you clear the weedy plants.