also: まんねんせい
noun
Japanese sacred lily; Nippon lily; lily of China
A perennial evergreen plant (Rohdea japonica) native to Japan and China, often cultivated as an ornamental houseplant or garden plant. The name 万年青 means 'evergreen for ten thousand years', symbolizing longevity.
祖母は縁起物として万年青を育てている。
My grandmother grows a Japanese sacred lily as a good-luck plant.
万年青は日陰でもよく育つ。
The Japanese sacred lily grows well even in the shade.
Katakana spelling is sometimes used in botanical contexts or for emphasis.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji are considered difficult.
The kanji 万年青 literally mean 'ten-thousand-year green', reflecting the plant's evergreen nature and its association with longevity. The reading おもと is of uncertain origin, possibly from an old Japanese name for the plant.