Katakuri plants are said to take between seven to eight years to mature and start budding, but since a long time ago, the native lilies that only scarcely covered the terrain were nurtured and protected and the colony reached its current impressive size. As such, nowadays the flowering is quite uniform and appealing. Due to its delicate nature and strict conditions for blossoming - warm, dry days with soft sun light - witnessing them when they flower adds to an already fulfilling experience.

Besides fawnlilies, the spot also features Kikuzaki-Ichige (Anemone pseudoaltaica - although named "Kiku", which means chrysanthemum, it's of the buttercup family), Navelwort "Yamaruriso" (Omphalodes japonica), Flaccid Anemone "Nirinso" (Anemone flaccida), "Nabewari" (Croomia heterosepala), "Hitori-Shizuka" (Chloranthus japonicus), and in early summer, "Shaga-no-Hana" (Iris japonica). Together, these flowers form the group of "Spring Ephemerals" - perennial varieties that swiftly sprout and blossom in spring, dying and receding to their underground parts before early summer arrives.

Quick fact: In Japan, the starch food staple is named “katakuriko” (katakuri flour), for in olden times the product was extracted from this plant’s bulbs. Nowadays, all the starch in the market comes from potatoes, but the old term related to the plants continues to be used to this day!