Japanese witch hazel, a golden ribbon coloring the early spring

 The strange, delicate flower shape that suddenly appears on the bare branches in an early spring garden, when the greenery is still sparse, is a work of art created by nature.  In the cold air, when other trees have yet to awaken from their winter dormancy, the sight of the Japanese witch hazel, the first to unfurl its ribbon-like petals, truly embodies the strength of life.

This weird flower is called *Man-saku* in Japanese, a native species of Japan and its English name is *Japanese witch hazel*. Its petals are a translucent yellow with a delicate, ribbon-like shape.  It grows in mountainous areas throughout Japan. It is also planted in gardens as a flowering tree.

I took the following photograph on March 11, 2026, on the hillside behind an old temple in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture.

Comparison with Japan's 500-yen coin (diameter 26.5mm).

This flower has the strange structure. The flower has four petals looked like a yellow ribbon, four stamens (the red petal-like parts, not petal, are integrated to the stamens), and the pistil has two stigmas.

The view of this flowering shrub. It looks outstanding and rather odd because the bare tree seems to be suddenly decorated by numerous vivid ribbons.

What do you think this is? It is actually the fruit of a Japanese witch hazel, *Man-saku*.

This photograph was taken on July 30th. I never imagined that the flower would take on such a form. In fact, once it ripens and dries out in late September, it becomes incredibly hard. If left sitting in a room, a dramatic event occurs. With a sharp "crack," the seeds are forcefully ejected and scattered all over the room.　However, I haven't tried it myself.