Murasaki-shikibu

Murasaki-shikibu is a woman novel writer in 10 to 11th century in Japan. She has written the famous "Genji Monogatari", a long epic of love romance among the aristocracy in the Heian era. There is a plant with her name here.

The original name meant piled purple fruits. Murasaki-shikibu was close to it in pronounciation and was converted to this plant's name. Her name seems suitable for this plant with not gorgeous but elegant beauty, like ladies in good old days in Japan. The academic name is Callicarpa japonica.

It has been drizzly today since a typhoon has been passing by in the Pacific ocean right now. No gardening today.

Murasaki shikibu naturally grown in our garden.