Moss phlox, a birthday flower of April 8th

There are at least four different birthday flowers of April 8th. Among them is moss phlox, known as Shibazakura  (芝桜) in Japanese. It literally means grass (or lawn) cherry blossoms, capturing the way these tiny flowers spread into sweeping carts of pink, white and purple that resemble fallen cherry blossom petals across the earth.

Despite the name, shibazakura is not related to cherry trees—it’s a hardy phlox that thrives close to the ground, creating soft, vivid fields that look almost painted. It does bloom just after somei yoshino cherry blossoms though, from about early April to early May, depending on the region. 

In the Japanese language of flowers, "hanakotoba", it represents "agreement", "unity / consistency / being in accord" and "a timid or fearful heart". It is one of spring's most enchanting ground-cover blooms in Japan and well worth visiting one of Japan's famous shibazakura festivals to see it in season.