Thunberg's meadowsweet Coloring Pages

"Snowy Willow" Flowers That Tell You Spring Is Here!

Thunberg's meadowsweet is a small bush in the rose family. People in Japan and China have loved it for a very long time.

• How it looks: Lots of thin branches grow from the ground and bend in soft curves. Tiny white flowers, less than 1 centimeter wide, bloom close together and cover the branches completely!

• Where the Japanese name comes from: Its leaves look like willow leaves, and the flowers look like snow piled up on them. That is why it is called "snowy willow" in Japanese! It is also called "rice flower" because when the flower petals fall, the ground looks like it is covered in tiny grains of rice.

Types of Thunberg's Meadowsweet

Besides the white Thunberg's meadowsweet that you usually see, there are a few other fun kinds grow in gardens!

• Fujino Pinky (Pink Thunberg's meadowsweet): This pretty flower has dark pink buds. When it opens, it is white on the inside and soft pink on the outside!

• Golden Thunberg's meadowsweet: This kind has bright yellow-green leaves. It makes gardens look bright and happy, even when it does not have flowers!

• Gulliver: This type has bigger flowers than usual Thunberg's meadowsweet, so it really stands out!

Special Flower Meanings

Thunberg's meadowsweet has lovely flower meanings that fit its gentle look.

• "Charming" and "Playful": These meanings come from the cute tiny flowers lined up happily along the branches.

• "Polite" and "Gentle": These meanings fit the quiet, neat, and pretty look of the white flowers.

• "Trying Your Best": This stands for the flower's strength as it blooms on thin branches after a cold winter.

When and Where to See It

Thunberg's meadowsweet blooms at the same time as cherry blossoms, or just a little bit before!

• Kyushu and Shikoku: You can see flowers start to bloom from early to mid-March.

• Kanto and Kinki: From mid-March to early April, you can walk through magical white tunnels of full blooms!

• Tohoku and Hokkaido: The flowers bloom from mid-April to early May, bringing spring to cooler places.

Shadow techniques to show delicate white

Flowers of Thunberg's meadowsweet are pure white. But if you leave your coloring page all white, the shapes will get blurry.

• Structure of a five-petaled flower: The flowers have five small petals. Instead of coloring each petal, add "shadows" to the center of the flower and where petals overlap. Use light gray, light blue, or very pale purple. This will make the white flowers pop!

• Accent with stamens: Color the tiny stamens in the middle of the flower with bright yellow or orange dots. This will bring your flower to life!

How to make the bending branches look lively

The best way to make it look like Thunberg's meadowsweet is to draw the smooth, flowing lines of its branches.

• Coloring the sleek lines: Use dark brown or deep gray for the branches. Color them with quick, sweeping strokes from the center outward to show how smoothly they bend.

• Change how close the flowers are: Color lots of flowers close together near the base of the branch. Make fewer flowers and add small buds as you go toward the tips. This gives your picture a nice, natural depth!

Attention to Detail in the Leaves and Buds

If you carefully color the green leaves peeking between the flowers and the buds that are about to bloom, your picture will look even more real!

• Leaves with jagged edges: Thunberg's meadowsweet leaves are long and thin. Their edges are a little bit jagged. Color the base a bright yellow-green. Then add a slightly darker green along the leaf veins to make them look fresh and lively!

• How to color the round buds: Add just a tiny bit of pink or light purple to the tips of the round, opening buds. This makes them look full of energy and ready to bloom!

Where the Name Comes From: "Snow" and "Willow"

The Japanese name for Thunberg's meadowsweet combines the words for "snow" and "willow." That is because its tiny white flowers look like "piled-up snow" all over the branches. Also, its long, drooping branches and leaves look like a "willow" tree!

Does It Look Like Rice?

When the tiny white flowers scatter, or when lots of them bloom close together, they look just like crushed grains of rice! That is why it has another fun name, "Small Rice Flower." It sounds a little bit yummy, doesn't it?

It Is in the Same Family as Cherry Blossoms and Roses!

Thunberg's meadowsweet has small, cute flowers. But it is actually in the "Rose family," just like spring cherry blossoms and sweet strawberries! When it blooms all at once in parks and gardens, it tells us that spring is here.

The Branches Bend Like a Bow!

The branches of Thunberg's meadowsweet grow super thin and long! When lots of flowers bloom, the weight makes the branches gently "bend like a bow" and droop down. It looks so pretty and graceful as it sways in the wind!