Butterbur sprout Coloring Pages

The very first spring wild plant to break through the snow! Butterbur sprout is the young flower bud of the butterbur plant, which comes from Japan. During winter, it waits quietly in the cold ground. When spring comes, it pushes through the snow to pop up its little face! People in Japan have enjoyed its unique taste and smell for a long time in tasty foods like tempura and butterbur miso.

Where its name comes from

The Japanese name and the English name for Butterbur sprout tell us cool things about this plant.

• English name: In English, it is called Giant Butterbur flower bud.

  • It has "Giant" in its name because Japanese butterbur plants are bigger than the ones in other countries. Long ago in the UK, people used the large leaves to wrap up butter. That is how it got the name "Butterbur"!

• The story behind its name:

  • Fuki (Butterbur): Some people say this name comes from old words meaning "winter tree" because it lasts through winter. Others say it comes from using the big leaves to wipe things clean.

  • Fukinotou (Butterbur sprout): The "tou" part means a tall stem or tower. It got this name because the flower stem grows tall and stretches up!

When it pops up and flower meanings

When it grows Butterbur sprout pops up around January to March. In places with lots of snow, you might see it from March to May.

Flower meanings Butterbur sprout has wonderful flower meanings that show how much people look forward to spring.

• "Long-awaited": It is the very first plant to tell everyone that cold winter is over and spring is finally here!

• "Charming": Its small, round buds look super cute as they peek out of the ground.

• "Friends": Look closely! Butterbur sprout is made up of many tiny flowers gathered happily together.

Here are tips to show the fresh energy of the Butterbur sprout!

Bright yellow-green shades

• Outer leaves: Try coloring the outer leaves wrapped around the bud in bright yellow-green.

• Overlapping parts: Mix in a little bit of yellow near the base where the leaves overlap. Add shadows with dark green to make it look nice and rounded!

The cluster of tiny flowers in the middle

• Lots of tiny flower buds are packed right inside the Butterbur sprout.

• Use light yellow and white here. Think about each little bump as you color. Adding a few small dots of orange makes it look super real!

Snow and dirt around the Butterbur sprout

• Use the white of the paper for snow: If your coloring page shows snow around it, leave those parts white without coloring them.

• Show the chilly feeling: Add a light brush of light blue to the shadowy parts of the snow. It will give your picture a cool early spring feel!

Is it Actually a Baby "Fuki"?

When Butterbur sprout grows big, its leaves spread out like an umbrella. It is actually the same plant as "Fuki". Their stems are connected under the ground. The flower bud that pops out first in early spring is Butterbur sprout.

A "Bitter" Taste That Tells You It Is Spring

When you eat Butterbur sprout, it tastes a little bit bitter, right? People have said for a long time, "Serve bitterness on your spring plate." This bitter taste is said to wake up your body after sleeping all through winter.

It Tastes Yummy as Tempura!

It is bitter as it is, but if you deep-fry it as "tempura," the bitter taste gets mild and super yummy! It is also popular to mix it with miso to make "fuki miso" and eat it on top of rice.

Is It True That There Are Boys and Girls?

Actually, Butterbur sprout has male plants and female plants. The ones with yellowish flowers are male. The ones that are a little white and tall are female. People say male ones are better for eating because they are less bitter.