[Branch Encyclopedia | Winter] Kuromoji (Japanese spicebush)

Hello everyone.

SiKiTO's "Branch Subscription" delivers the best branches selected by professionals, depending on the weather and stock availability at the time.

The branch we're introducing today is Kuromoji (Spicebush).

It is a deciduous shrub belonging to the genus Lindera in the family Lauraceae.

It grows wild in Honshu west of Kanto, Shikoku, and northern Kyushu, and its name comes from the black spots on its bark that resemble written characters.

It is a long-lasting branch that is distributed during the coldest period from December to February.

Its slender branches with elongated buds at the tips are a perfect match for the winter scenery. In the wild, it blooms small pale yellow flowers from March to April, and is one of the branches that heralds the arrival of spring.

It is also known as a native Japanese aromatic wood, from which a sweet and elegant fragrance emanates from the cut branches and leaves. It is used to make essential oil (Kuromoji oil) and Kuromoji tea. In ancient times, during the "Daijosai," the enthronement ceremony for the Emperor, Kuromoji hedges were created to fill the surroundings with their fragrance, emphasizing the solemnity of the ritual.

It is also very useful medicinally, containing essential oil components with antibacterial and relaxing effects, and is used in bath salts and medicinal liquor.

Kuromoji branches are also used for high-quality toothpicks due to their excellent fragrance and beauty, and in some parts of western Japan, the toothpicks themselves are called "Kuromoji."

 

* For SiKiTO's Branch Encyclopedia, click here.

【SiKiTOのよみもの】枝もの図鑑

よみもの一覧をみる〉

枝もの定期便｜自宅で待つだけ、飾るだけ。

商品をみる 〉