also: ほうのき
Japanese bigleaf magnolia; Magnolia obovata
A deciduous tree native to Japan, known for its large leaves and fragrant white flowers. The word is usually written in kana.
Sometimes food is wrapped in the large leaves of the Japanese bigleaf magnolia.
A Japanese bigleaf magnolia is planted in the park.
Katakana spelling is common for plant names and is the usual written form for this word.
Kanji spelling; less common than katakana. The reading ほおのき is restricted to this form.
Katakana variant with irregular reading ほうのき.
Irregular kana usage; the reading ほうのき is a variant. The kanji 朴 is read irregularly here.
The name ホオノキ (朴の木) is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 朴 means 'magnolia' or 'simple,' but the exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.