#lanternplant

Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Autumn

Seasonality: Early Autumn/ August

Japanese Name: Hozuki

English Name: Chinese Lantern Plant

     Hozuki (酸漿, Chinese Lantern Plant) is easily identifiable by the large, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resembles paper lanterns. It is a popular ornamental plant, widely cultivated in temperate regions of the world, and very hardy to below −20 °C (−4 °F). It can be invasive with its wide-spreading root system sending up new shoots some distance from where it was originally planted. In various places around the world, it has escaped from cultivation. In Japan, its seeds are used as part of the Bon Festival as offerings to guide the souls of the deceased. Also, an annual market is dedicated to the flower called hōzuki-ichi, which occurs in Asakusa around Sensō-ji every year on July 9 and 10.

(Text Source 1)