Unohana Garden
This garden is filled with Deutzia crenata, a flowering shrub in the hydrangea family which is native to Japan. The delicate white flowers bloom in May and June and are a common sight in the mountainous countryside, but rarely found in urban areas like Osaka.
In Japanese, the plant is called unohana, or “rabbit flower,” as its blooming season coincides with the month of the rabbit in the ancient Chinese calendar. Unohana are associated with Sumiyoshi because, according to legend, the shrine was founded on the day, month, and year of the rabbit more than 1,800 years ago. Deutzia crenata branches are used in ritual offerings at Sumiyoshi in place of sakaki (Cleyera japonica) branches, which are more commonly used at other Shinto shrines.
Unohana Garden contains 25 varieties of Deutzia crenata and related species. It is open to the public when the flowers are in bloom.