also: みねかえで
butterfly maple; Tschonoski's maple
A species of maple native to Japan and East Asia; scientific name Acer tschonoskii. Used in botanical and gardening contexts.
The butterfly maple is a type of maple that grows naturally in alpine regions.
I planted a butterfly maple in my garden.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling is rare; the plant is normally written in kana.
The name ミネカエデ (峰楓) literally means 'peak maple', referring to its habitat in mountainous areas. The exact derivation is straightforward from the kanji components.