also: そうぶ
Acorus calamus, a wetland plant with aromatic rhizomes. Often associated with the Boy's Festival (端午の節句) where its leaves are used in baths.
Colloquial use for Iris ensata var. ensata, a popular garden plant with large, showy flowers. The more precise term is 花菖蒲 (はなしょうぶ).
See also: 花菖蒲
There is a custom of taking a bath with sweet flag leaves on the Boy's Festival.
Beautiful Japanese irises are blooming in the garden.
Standard kanji spelling for both sweet flag and Japanese iris.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or commercial contexts.
The kanji 菖蒲 are Chinese in origin, referring to the sweet flag. The Japanese reading しょうぶ is the on'yomi. The plant has been known in Japan since ancient times, and the name is deeply associated with seasonal traditions.