also: はなめ
Refers to the bud of a flower before it blooms; used in botanical and everyday contexts.
The cherry blossom buds have started to swell.
寒さで花芽が傷んでしまった。
The flower buds were damaged by the cold.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading かが is the most common for this compound.
Alternate reading; less common but still used, especially in everyday speech.
Compound of 花 (flower) and 芽 (bud). The reading かが is the on'yomi, while はなめ is a kun'yomi reading.