Japan🇯🇵Group of birds (ムレスズメ)
Small branches dance in flocks; sparrow shadows resemble flowers.
Mulesume (ムレスズメ), a deciduous shrub belonging to the legume family, was introduced to Japan during the Edo period. Its unique flowering posture and vitality make it a popular bonsai material with both ornamental value and cultural significance.
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Overall dimensions: 25cm (height) x 26cm (width)
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✨ origin of name
Every flowering season, countless butterfly-shaped flowers hang densely on the branches, resembling a flock of birds perched among the branches when viewed from a distance, hence the name "Flock of Birds". This image also symbolizes the meaning of "union", "freedom" and "harmonious coexistence".
🌸 Flowers and tree shapes
- Flowering period: From spring to early summer (April–June), bright yellow flowers bloom in succession, gradually turning orange-red over time, with distinct color layers.
- Branches and trunk: The tree has many branches, and the bark is yellowish-brown with spots. It peels off over the years, giving it a natural and rustic appearance.
- Leaves: Pinnate compound leaves, small and neat, occasionally with small thorns, with a unique wild appearance.
🌱 Cultivation characteristics
The finches are naturally robust and highly adaptable to different soil types. They are drought-tolerant as well as moisture-tolerant, and thrive especially in sunny environments. Although their natural shape can be somewhat unruly, bonsai artisans can prune and shape them to create a unique aesthetic that is "full of blossoms like finches, with a lively and graceful posture."
💮 Fancy words The meaning of flowers for a flock of sparrows
- "Gathering" – like a flock of birds gathering together, symbolizing friendship and the connection between people.
- "A Free Life" - The flowers are graceful and lively, symbolizing a carefree and unrestrained attitude towards life.
- The seasons change: flowers bloom in spring and summer, leaves turn red in autumn, and branches remain strong after the leaves fall in winter, presenting different scenery.
- Cultural significance: Sketches of it can be found in herbal illustrations from the late Edo period, indicating its long history. The "gathering × freedom" implied in the flower words further endows it with a cultural symbolism that transcends form.