Mitsumata – Edgeworthia Chrysantha

Mitsumata (ミツマタ) is a yellowish deciduous shrub native to southern China with three-pronged branch tips that measure between 1 to 3 meters in height and the leaves are alternate and broadly lanceolate with blades 8 to 15 cm long and grows naturally in the fields and mountains of Japan.

The trunk has an upright shape and the branches are always trifurcated, giving the tree a shape that extends horizontally, its name comes from the fact that it has three branches (三又).

It is said that mitsumata came to Japan from China as a raw material for Japanese paper during the Keicho era (1596-1615), Japanese paper is made from twig fibers that have a strong fibrous quality, used to make Japanese banknotes.

The flowering season is in early spring from late March to early April.

End of  March to beginning of April