plains coreopsis; Coreopsis tinctoria
A flowering plant native to North America, often cultivated as an ornamental. The Japanese name derives from 'Harusha' (Persia) + 'giku' (chrysanthemum), though it is not from Persia.
Plains coreopsis blooms with yellow flowers in summer.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common than pure katakana.
Kanji spelling using 菊; rarely seen.
Ateji spelling; historical and very rare.
Ateji spelling; historical and very rare.
From ハルシャ (Harusha, 'Persia') + 菊 (kiku, 'chrysanthemum'), though the plant is native to North America. The exact reason for the 'Persia' reference is uncertain.