noun
mountain camellia; sasanqua
Refers to Camellia sasanqua, a flowering shrub native to Japan. Often written in katakana as ヤマツバキ. Cross-referenced with 山茶花 (さざんか).
See also: 山茶花
庭にヤマツバキが咲いている。
Mountain camellias are blooming in the garden.
ヤマツバキは秋から冬にかけて花を咲かせる。
Mountain camellias bloom from autumn to winter.
Often used interchangeably with ヤマツバキ; both refer to Camellia sasanqua, but 山茶花 is the more common term in everyday language.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') and 椿 (tsubaki, 'camellia'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name likely refers to the plant's natural habitat in mountainous regions.