sprouts emerging from the soil; early spring shoots
Poetic or literary term for the first sprouts of plants pushing up through the earth in early spring. Often associated with the freshness of the season.
Sprouts have started to appear here and there on the embankment.
下萌えの季節になると、野山が一斉に動き出す。
When the season of early shoots arrives, the fields and hills come alive all at once.
Standard kanji spelling with okurigana.
Variant without okurigana; less common but still used.
Compound of 下 (shita, 'under') + 萌え (moe, 'sprouting'). The reading したもえ is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two components.