Refers to the flowering shrub of the genus Rhododendron, commonly found in gardens and mountainous areas in Japan. The katakana spelling シャクナゲ is standard.
See also: ロードデンドロン
庭にシャクナゲが咲いている。
Rhododendrons are blooming in the garden.
Rhododendrons are also known as alpine plants.
ロードデンドロン is the scientific genus name Rhododendron, sometimes used in horticultural contexts, while シャクナゲ is the common Japanese name.
Rhododendron metternichii
Azuma rhododendron
Hakusan rhododendron
Tsukushi rhododendron
Kibana rhododendron
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this plant name.
Kanji spelling; rarely used in practice. The word is usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling; also used, but katakana is more typical for plant names.
Rarely used kanji form.
Developed from the older form しゃくなんげ, based on the Chinese plant name 石南花. In Japan the name came to be applied to rhododendrons.