Japan has seven famous plants associated with spring.

They're called the Seven Herbs of Spring (春の七草).

You eat them in nanakusa-gayu, a rice porridge traditionally enjoyed in January.

So when you hear that Japan also has...

Seven Plants of Autumn

you might assume there's another seasonal dish coming.

There isn't. 😄

The Aki no Nanakusa (秋の七草)—the Seven Flowers of Autumn—aren't traditionally gathered for a special meal.

They're meant to be:

noticed.

Growing in fields.

Swaying in the autumn wind.

Blooming quietly along roadsides.

These seven plants have been admired in Japan for more than a thousand years.

So...

what are Japan's Seven Flowers of Autumn? 🍂🌾

What Are Aki no Nanakusa?

Aki no Nanakusa (秋の七草) refers to seven plants traditionally associated with autumn in Japan.

The name breaks down simply:

秋 (aki) = autumn

七 (nana) = seven

草 (kusa) = grass / herb / plant

Together:

秋の七草 = Seven Plants of Autumn.

They're commonly called the Seven Flowers of Autumn in English because several are admired for their blossoms.

Unlike the Seven Herbs of Spring, however, the autumn plants aren't primarily a food tradition.

They're about appreciating the beauty of the season.

What Are the Seven Flowers of Autumn?

The traditional seven are:

🌸 Hagi (萩) — bush clover
🌾 Susuki (薄 / ススキ) — Japanese pampas grass
🌼 Kuzu (葛) — kudzu
🌸 Nadeshiko (撫子) — pink / fringed pink
🌼 Ominaeshi (女郎花) — golden lace / patrinia
🌸 Fujibakama (藤袴) — thoroughwort
🌸 Kikyō (桔梗) — Japanese bellflower

Some of these names may be completely unfamiliar.

But if you've spent time in Japan...

you may have seen the plants without realizing they belonged to a group that's been celebrated for centuries.

Where Did the Seven Flowers of Autumn Come From?

The tradition is usually traced back to the Man'yōshū (万葉集), Japan's oldest surviving collection of Japanese poetry.

The collection contains thousands of poems composed by people from different levels of society.

Among them are poems by Yamanoue no Okura (山上憶良) describing the flowers of the autumn fields.

One poem names seven plants.

Those plants eventually became known as the:

Aki no Nanakusa.

That means the idea of Japan's Seven Flowers of Autumn reaches back to the Nara period.

More than 1,200 years later...

Japan still remembers the same seven plants.

1. Hagi (萩) — Bush Clover

If there is a star of the Seven Flowers of Autumn, hagi has a very good claim to the title.

Hagi is a bushy plant that produces small pinkish-purple flowers.

It appears frequently in classical Japanese poetry and has long been associated with autumn.

The delicate flowers arch downward from long branches, creating a soft, slightly wild appearance.

Unlike dramatic cherry blossoms...

hagi doesn't announce itself.

You notice it growing quietly among the autumn grasses.

And that understated beauty is part of its appeal.

2. Susuki (ススキ) — Japanese Pampas Grass

This one may look much more familiar.

Susuki produces tall stalks topped with silvery flower heads that move beautifully in the wind.

Large fields of susuki can turn almost golden when illuminated by autumn sunlight.

But susuki has another important seasonal connection.

You may have seen it beside:

🌕 Tsukimi dango

during Japan's autumn moon-viewing tradition.

Susuki is traditionally displayed during Tsukimi, making it one of the most recognizable plants of the Japanese autumn landscape.

3. Kuzu (葛) — Kudzu

Yes.

That kudzu.

Kuzu is a vigorous climbing vine with purple flowers.

The plant is famous for spreading rapidly, particularly in places outside Japan where it was introduced and became invasive.

But in Japan, kuzu has a much older cultural history.

Its roots contain starch that can be processed into kuzuko (葛粉).

That starch is used in traditional Japanese foods and sweets, including kuzumochi and kuzukiri.

So although the Seven Flowers of Autumn aren't a food tradition...

one of them still managed to find its way into the kitchen.

Very Japanese. 😄

4. Nadeshiko (撫子) — Pink

Nadeshiko is a delicate pink flower with finely fringed petals.

Its name has a particularly interesting cultural connection.

You may have heard the expression:

Yamato Nadeshiko (大和撫子).

Traditionally, the phrase was used as an idealized description of Japanese feminine beauty and grace.

Japan's women's national football team is also famously nicknamed:

Nadeshiko Japan.

So this little autumn flower has ended up with a cultural life far beyond the field where it grows.

5. Ominaeshi (女郎花) — Golden Lace

Ominaeshi produces clusters of tiny yellow flowers.

Rather than one large dramatic blossom, many small flowers gather together at the tops of tall stems.

The result is light and airy.

You'll often see it growing among other autumn grasses, adding spots of yellow to the landscape.

Like several members of the Aki no Nanakusa, ominaeshi appears in Japanese poetry and has long been appreciated as a symbol of autumn.

6. Fujibakama (藤袴) — Thoroughwort

Fujibakama produces clusters of pale pinkish-purple flowers.

The Japanese name is particularly beautiful.

藤 (fuji) = wisteria

袴 (hakama) = traditional pleated garment

The flower's appearance inspired a name comparing it to a wisteria-colored hakama.

Fujibakama also appears in classical Japanese literature.

In fact, Fujibakama is the title of one of the chapters of The Tale of Genji (源氏物語).

A small autumn flower...

with a very impressive literary résumé.

7. Kikyō (桔梗) — Japanese Bellflower

Kikyō is perhaps one of the most visually striking of the seven.

Its flowers open into beautiful five-pointed stars, usually in shades of blue or purple.

Before opening, the buds inflate almost like little balloons.

The simple geometric shape of the flower has made kikyō a familiar motif in Japanese design.

It also appears in traditional kamon (家紋)—Japanese family crests.

One famous historical figure associated with a bellflower crest is Akechi Mitsuhide.

So this little purple flower connects autumn fields...

to samurai history.

Why Are They Called “Autumn Flowers”?

Here's something that can be confusing.

Not every plant waits until what we would now consider late autumn to bloom.

Some begin flowering during summer.

That's partly because traditional Japanese ideas of the seasons don't line up perfectly with today's Western calendar.

In the old seasonal calendar, autumn began much earlier than many people today would expect.

So don't be surprised if you encounter one of the Seven Flowers of Autumn...

while you're still thinking:

“But it's August.”

Japan's traditional calendar says otherwise. 🍂

Are the Seven Flowers of Autumn Eaten?

Generally, no—not as a set or seasonal eating custom.

This is the biggest difference between the autumn seven and the famous Seven Herbs of Spring.

The spring herbs are traditionally eaten in nanakusa-gayu (七草粥) on January 7.

The autumn plants are primarily admired for their beauty and seasonal associations.

So:

🌱 Spring Seven → Eat them

🌸 Autumn Seven → Admire them

Easy.

Although, as mentioned earlier, individual plants such as kuzu have culinary uses of their own.

Why Seven?

Seven appears repeatedly in Japanese culture.

There are:

Shichifukujin (七福神) — Seven Lucky Gods

Nanakusa (七草) — Seven Herbs

Tanabata on 7/7

and many other traditions involving the number.

But in the case of Aki no Nanakusa, the specific group comes from the seven plants named in the ancient poetry associated with Yamanoue no Okura.

So someone more than a millennium ago essentially created a list...

and Japan kept it.

That's pretty good longevity for a listicle. 😄

Where Can You See Aki no Nanakusa?

You don't necessarily need to visit a famous tourist attraction.

Depending on the plant and region, members of the Seven Flowers of Autumn can appear in:

🌾 Fields
🏞️ Meadows
⛰️ Hillsides
🌿 Gardens
🏯 Temple grounds
🌳 Botanical gardens
🛤️ Countryside paths

Some Japanese gardens and botanical gardens also create displays highlighting the seven plants during the season.

But historically, these weren't necessarily fancy garden flowers.

Part of their beauty was seeing them growing naturally among the autumn grasses of the countryside.

The Japanese Beauty of Autumn Grass

When people imagine autumn in Japan, the first image is often:

🍁 bright red maple leaves.

And yes...

kōyō (紅葉) is spectacular.

But traditional Japanese autumn imagery can be much quieter.

Tall grasses moving in the wind.

Tiny flowers.

The sound of insects.

A bright moon.

Susuki glowing in evening light.

Hagi bending over a path.

The Aki no Nanakusa belong to that version of autumn.

Not dramatic.

Not necessarily famous.

Just small signs that the season is changing.

Why Are Aki no Nanakusa Special?

The Seven Flowers of Autumn reveal something beautiful about Japanese seasonal culture.

You don't always need a festival.

You don't need fireworks.

You don't even need cherry blossoms.

Sometimes appreciating a season means simply knowing:

what to look for.

A purple bellflower.

A patch of hagi.

Silver susuki moving in the wind.

People were writing poems about these plants more than a thousand years ago.

And they're still blooming.

Same flowers.

Another autumn. 🍂

Fun Facts About Aki no Nanakusa

• Aki no Nanakusa (秋の七草) means the Seven Plants or Seven Flowers of Autumn.
• The tradition is associated with poetry in the ancient Man'yōshū (万葉集).
• The seven are hagi, susuki, kuzu, nadeshiko, ominaeshi, fujibakama, and kikyō.
• Unlike the Seven Herbs of Spring, the autumn seven aren't traditionally eaten together.
• Susuki is also associated with Japan's Tsukimi moon-viewing tradition.
• Kuzu roots can be processed into starch used in Japanese cooking and sweets.
• Nadeshiko appears in the expression Yamato Nadeshiko.
• Japan's women's national football team is nicknamed Nadeshiko Japan.
• Fujibakama is also the title of a chapter in The Tale of Genji.
• Kikyō has been used as a motif in Japanese family crests.
• Some of the plants begin blooming earlier than modern ideas of “autumn” might suggest.
• The Seven Flowers celebrate the quieter beauty of Japan's autumn fields rather than dramatic fall foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Aki no Nanakusa?

Aki no Nanakusa (秋の七草) are seven plants traditionally associated with autumn in Japan.

What are the Seven Flowers of Autumn?

They are hagi, susuki, kuzu, nadeshiko, ominaeshi, fujibakama, and kikyō.

What does Aki no Nanakusa mean?

Aki (秋) means autumn, nana (七) means seven, and kusa (草) means grass, herb, or plant.

Where did Aki no Nanakusa originate?

The tradition is traced to poems in the Man'yōshū, Japan's oldest surviving anthology of Japanese poetry, including verses associated with Yamanoue no Okura.

Are the Seven Flowers of Autumn edible?

They aren't traditionally eaten together as a seasonal custom. Some individual plants, such as kuzu, do have culinary uses.

Are Aki no Nanakusa the same as Nanakusa-gayu?

No. Nanakusa-gayu uses the Seven Herbs of Spring and is traditionally eaten in January. The Seven Flowers of Autumn are primarily appreciated for their beauty.

Is susuki one of the Seven Flowers of Autumn?

Yes. Susuki, or Japanese pampas grass, is one of the seven and is also strongly associated with autumn moon viewing.

Why is nadeshiko famous in Japan?

Beyond being one of the Seven Flowers of Autumn, nadeshiko appears in the traditional expression Yamato Nadeshiko and in the nickname of Japan's women's national football team.

When can you see the Seven Flowers of Autumn?

Blooming periods vary by plant and location, with some appearing from summer into autumn.

Are they still important in Japan today?

They're not necessarily part of everyday life for everyone, but the Seven Flowers remain a recognized part of Japanese seasonal, botanical, literary, and cultural tradition.

🇯🇵 Keep Discovering Japan

If you enjoyed learning about Aki no Nanakusa (秋の七草), you might also like discovering Shūbun no Hi (秋分の日)—Japan's Autumnal Equinox Day and the traditions that mark the changing season.

👋 Meet a JapPop Resident

Tea Break Turtle

おつ亀

Tea Break Turtle believes every hard day deserves a proper ending. 🍵🐢

A warm cup of tea.

A comfortable place to sit.

And absolutely no reason to rush.

While everyone else keeps moving, he knows sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down and enjoy what's around you.

Rest first. Everything else can wait.

👉 Meet Tea Break Turtle and discover more residents from the JapPop Universe.

🇯🇵 About JapPop

At JapPop, we celebrate Japanese culture through playful illustrations, original characters, and stories inspired by everyday life in Japan.

From beloved foods and traditional festivals to folklore, historical figures, seasonal customs, lucky gods, and language, every article introduces another piece of Japan—and another story worth discovering.

Sometimes autumn is impossible to miss.

Bright red leaves.

Golden mountains.

Fields glowing in the afternoon sun.

And sometimes...

it's seven little plants you might have walked straight past. 🌾🍂

Discover Japan, one story at a time. 🇯🇵✨