沈丁花(ジンチョウゲ)

沈丁花(ジンチョウゲ)は香り高い花を咲かせる春の代表的な樹木で、春の沈丁花、夏の梔子、そして秋の金木犀を合わせて三大香木と称されます。沈丁花(ジンチョウゲ)はジンチョウゲ科の常緑低木で、春先に外側が桃色で内側が白色の小さな花が塊になって枝先に咲きます。樹高は1m~1.5mほどで、枝が良く分岐するので特に剪定をしなくても丸くこんもりとした樹形を保ちます。沈丁花(ジンチョウゲ)の特徴はやはり香り高い花。「沈丁花」という名前は、花の香りが沈香に似ていることと、十字型の花が丁子（クローブ）に似ていることに由来しています。原産は中国と言われており、室町時代にはすでに栽培されていたという記述があります。沈丁花(ジンチョウゲ)は雌雄異株で、雄株と雌株があります。日本で流通しているものの多くは雄株ですので実を見る機会はめったにありませんが、赤い可愛らしい実を付けます。ただし、実は猛毒ですので口に入れないように注意しましょう。

Shincho flower (Jinchoge) is a typical spring tree that blooms fragrant flowers, and it is known as the three major scented trees, including spring spring flowers, summer palm trees and autumn gold tree branches. The Shincho flower (Jinchoge) is an evergreen shrub belonging to the genus Ginkgo moth. In early spring, small pink flowers on the outside and white inside form a cluster that blooms at the ends of branches. The tree height is about 1m to 1.5m, and the branches are well branched, so it maintains a round and convoluted tree shape without pruning. The characteristic of the Shincho flower (Jinchoge) is also a fragrant flower. The name “Shincho Flower” is derived from the fact that the scent of the flower resembles agardoke and the cross-shaped flower resembles a clove (clove). The origin is said to be China, and it is described that it was already grown in the Muromachi period. Shincho flowers (Jinchoge) are dioecious, and there are male and female strains. Most of the things in circulation in Japan are male stocks, so there is rarely an opportunity to see the fruit, but it bears a lovely red fruit. However, be careful not to put it in the mouth because it is actually poisonous.