noun
Japanese andromeda; lily-of-the-valley bush
Refers to the plant Pieris japonica, an evergreen shrub with clusters of small white flowers. The name 'lily-of-the-valley' is a loose comparison, not the same plant as Convallaria majalis.
庭にアセビが咲いている。
Japanese andromeda is blooming in the garden.
アセビの花はスズランに似ている。
The flowers of the Japanese andromeda resemble lily-of-the-valley.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; the reading あせび is the most common.
スズラン is the true lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis), a different plant. アセビ is sometimes called lily-of-the-valley in English due to similar-looking flowers, but they are not related.
The kanji 馬酔木 literally means 'horse-intoxicating tree', as the plant is toxic to livestock. The reading あせび is of uncertain origin.