蓬
sagebrush, wormwood, mugwort
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
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.