The Seven Grasses of Autumn (秋の七草) are a recurring motif in classical Japanese poetry. They are often found in the verses of the Manyoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese songs and poems. They are frequently found in the verses of the Manyōshū, the oldest collection of Japanese songs and poems. In the later court anthology Kokinshu, depictions of these autumn grasses become symbols of the culture of Heian Japan (784 to 1185) in a way that could not have been conveyed through painting alone. With powerful yet concise language, the poets capture the subtle nuances of life and love, while images of nature and flowers reflect the changing seasons of inner feelings, as in the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji 富士三十六景 甲斐大月の原 : Kai Ōtsuki no Hara / Date: 4th month horse year 1858.
The effect of autumn grasses, which evoked deep feelings even back then, lies in their special beauty, which is always imbued with a touch of melancholy. More than the flowers of any other season, autumn grasses, cleansed by rain and bent by the wind, exude a quiet yet poignant grace - the very kind of beauty that is considered the epitome of flowers in the tea ceremony.
🍂 Poem from the Manyōshū (8th century)
Japanese (Waka-style):
秋の野に 咲きたる花を 指折りかき数ふれば 七種の花
萩の花 尾花 葛花 瞿麦の花 女郎花 また藤袴 朝貌の花
Transliteration (Romaji):
Aki no no ni
sakitaru hana o
yubi-ori kaki kazoe reba
nanakusa no hana
Hagi no hana,
obana, kuzubana,
nadeshiko no hana,
ominaeshi,
mata fujibakama,
asagao no hana.
English translation:
In the autumn fields –
Flowers bloom quietly.
Count them on my fingers –
There are seven blooming there.
Bush clover (Hagi), pampas grass (Obana), kudzu (Kuzubana),
wild carnation (Nadeshiko), patrinia (Ominaeshi),
feverfew (Fujibakama) and morning glory (Asagao) –
the seven flowers of autumn.
Yamanoue Okura (C. 660 to 733); Manyoshu: 8:1537-8
The connecting motif of these seven flowers is the “pathos of things,” also known as mono no aware, which can be translated as “sensitivity to things” or “compassion for transience.”
It is striking that the chrysanthemum is missing from this selection. However, it has its own place in the annual cycle: on the ninth day of the ninth month, it is commemorated with the Kiku no sekku festival.
🌾 The seven flowers of autumn (秋の七草, Aki no Nanakusa)
1. 萩 Hagi (bush clover, Lespedeza)
• Symbol of delicacy and transience
• Often the first grass associated with autumn
2. 尾花 – Obana (miscanthus, silver grass/pampas grass)
• Feather-light flower spikes, symbol of wind and movement
• Represents “emptiness” and the beauty of the inconspicuous.
3. 葛 – Kuzu (Kudzu, orchid)
• Climbing plant, symbol of endurance and vitality
• In the ikebana tradition, it is also understood as an energetic connection.
4. Nadeshiko (Japanese carnation, Dianthus superbus, wild carnation)
• “Lovely girl” – symbol of purity and grace
• In the Way of Tea, a symbol of delicacy and humility
5. 女郎花 – Ominaeshi (Patrinia, maiden flower, golden valerian)
• Literally means “the flower that shames women.”
• Embodies grace and feminine beauty.
6. 藤袴 – Fujibakama (Eupatorium, boneset, water hyssop)
• Literally “wisteria hakama (robe).”
• An elegant harbinger of autumn that is rarely seen and highly prized in tea arrangements.
7. 桔梗 – Kikyo (Chinese bellflower, Platycodon grandiflorus). Asago may refer to morning glory (Ipomorea).
• Represents loyalty and constancy
• Its five-petaled flower symbolizes the five elements.
Nowadays, autumn begins on August 8 in Japan. The Nanakusa of the Ikenobo school is traditionally arranged on July 7, the Tanabata Festival. In the old Japanese calendar, autumn lasted from the seventh to the ninth month, which explains the early date for the Nanakusa. In Japan, vegetation is usually one month ahead of our latitudes, and since some materials (such as the flowering panicles of Miscanthus) are very difficult or impossible to obtain in our regions so early in the year, alternatives can also be used, as here in the arrangement with Sorghum halepense, snowberry, morning glory, dill, and sweet William.
The balloon flower is particularly popular in ikebana. It is not available as a cut flower in our region, but anyone with a garden can easily cultivate it. Even in a balcony box, it now survives the winter well in our latitudes and blooms profusely for a long time with its expressive flowers. In the following arrangement, it is shown together with leaves of Sorghum halepense in the form of a Shōka Maze-ike.
In Shōka Shimpūtai, it can also unfold its friendly radiance in combination with other materials—here with Japanese spindle tree and miscanthus.
