A beloved symbol of good fortune in Japan and China, Rohdea japonica—also called Sacred Lily—offers vibrant color and sculptural foliage for traditional Ohara School winter arrangements. May is the perfect time to plant this shade-loving perennial so you can enjoy its beauty next winter.
In the quiet chill of winter, when most gardens sleep beneath a blanket of frost, the Sacred Lily stands resolute. Known botanically as Rohdea japonica, this evergreen perennial is prized not only for its tenacity but also for its beauty and deep cultural symbolism. In the Ohara School of Ikebana, Rohdea plays a starring role in traditional winter arrangements, offering both visual structure and emotional resonance.
Native to China and Japan, Rohdea japonica has been cultivated for over 500 years. It’s revered as an engimono—a good luck charm—and is often given as a gift for birthdays or housewarmings. In Japan, plant breeders have developed over 600 named cultivars, reflecting the plant’s revered status and rich diversity.
This slow-growing plant thrives in deep, dry shade, where many others would falter. Its tough, dark green leaves—sometimes variegated with white edging—grow in an elegant fan and can reach over a foot long. In warmer climates, the foliage remains green year-round. In colder regions, the leaves die back, but return with vigor in the spring.
Rohdea’s small, pale flowers are easily overlooked, but they give rise to vibrant red berries on short stalks that brighten winter’s gray landscape—making them perfect for seasonal floral arrangements.
If you’ve been thinking about adding Rohdea japonica to your garden, May is the ideal time to do it. This warm-weather perennial should be planted after the last frost to allow its roots to establish before the summer heat arrives. It thrives in USDA zones 6 to 10 and prefers well-drained, humus-rich soil in dry, shady areas—places where other plants may struggle to grow.
Though Rohdea is slow to mature, planting now ensures it will be ready to bring structure and color to your garden next winter. Even better, you may have material on hand to use in a traditional Ohara winter arrangement—making your own art from what you’ve nurtured.
The Ohara School includes Rohdea in its traditional winter arrangements, particularly in the Shakei Moribana (landscape-style Moribana). These designs do not attempt to replicate nature literally but instead capture its essence through intentional placement and poetic interpretation.
In a classic arrangement known as "Traditional Moribana Rohdea", a cluster of eight Rohdea leaves is grouped vertically from front to back, creating a sense of layered depth—distinct from how the leaves grow naturally. A single berry stalk (or a substitute like red hypericum) is nestled into the composition, complemented by yellow spray mums and airy asparagus fern.
This specific arrangement is taught with fixed materials and structure. Rather than improvising with what's seasonal or available, the designer follows a traditional model—almost like a kata in martial arts—honoring the lineage of the design and cultivating technique and discipline.
The vessel is equally intentional: a 14-inch suiban, round, oval, or rectangular, with either two rectangular kenzan or a shippo-style mechanic. The container serves not just as a base, but as a frame for the composition, grounding it in simplicity and elegance.
In Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi celebrates impermanence and imperfection. Rohdea arrangements, with their resolute foliage and glowing red berries, evoke resilience and quiet joy. When placed in a tokonoma or simply on a table near a shoji screen, the composition becomes more than decoration—it becomes a message. Even in winter, there is life. Even in stillness, there is beauty.
🌸 Want to see more?
Check out our recent posts on Japanese Snowballs (Viburnum) and other seasonal materials used in Ohara Ikebana.
Have you planted Rohdea japonica in your garden or used it in an arrangement? Share your experience—we’d love to hear how this sacred lily has made its way into your practice.
Joe Rotella
Associate Second Term Master
Ohara School of Ikebana
