wintersweet; Japanese allspice
A deciduous shrub (Chimonanthus praecox) that produces fragrant yellow flowers in winter. Often called 'Japanese allspice' in English, though not a true allspice.
The wintersweet is blooming in the garden.
ロウバイの花はとてもいい香りがする。
The wintersweet flowers have a very nice fragrance.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling; less common than kana forms.
Search-only kanji form; not in common use.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Alternate kanji spelling; rare.
The name ロウバイ (蝋梅) literally means 'wax plum', referring to the waxy texture of the flowers and their resemblance to plum blossoms. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.