Flora Peculia is happy to introduce Rhodea japonica to Canada! In Japan, it is known as Omoto. Plants will arrive later this year, so stay tuned! For those unfamiliar with this plant, below is a brief description. 

Rhodea japonica is a native plant species found in Japan, China, and Korea. The Japanese took a special interest in this plant species for over 400 years since the Edo Period. In Japanese, Rohdea japonica is called Omoto (万年青、おもと) which translates to “Ten Thousand Years Green”.

One of the most famous feudal lords, Ieyasu Tokugawa, was an avid Omoto collector. You can find an Omoto garden as an offering to him at his mausoleum. There is a shrine dedicated to Ieyasu Tokugawa beside the mausoleum where you will find many Omoto carvings.

For the Japanese, Omoto is a good luck gift for housewarming and new home celebrations because it symbolizes longevity and long life as it always stays green and doesn’t lose its leaves. 

Omoto is an herbaceous perennial plant that always stays green. It produces a stout with yellow flowers in the summer and produces eye-catching red, orange, or yellow berries in the winter. 

Omoto is categorized as a traditional Japanese horticulture plant like Fūkiran (Vanda falcata), Shunran (Cymbidium goeringii), and Chōseiran (Dendrobium moniliforme). Omoto is categorized into 3 categories based on its size:

• Large-sized Omoto (30-50cm)

• Medium-sized Omoto (10-30cm)

• Small-sized Omoto (less than 10 cm).

It is collected for its varying plant sizes, leaf variegations, leaf shapes, and leaf textures.  

Omoto requires a potting material that has a very good drainage. It is a warm to cold grower and is hardy as long as it is above freezing in the winter.  It requires ample water in the spring and fall when the plant is actively growing. In the summer, make sure that pot is somewhat dry between each watering. During dormancy in the winter, water is greatly reduced. It prefers mostly a shaded growing spot, morning sun is sufficient.