Birth flower for November 6
Fatsia
Meaning: friendliness, good health
Its Japanese name means eight hands, yet the leaves usually have an odd number of lobes, seven or nine, and exactly eight is rare. In Japan the leaf is said to look like a tengu's feather fan, able to sweep away bad luck, so it is often planted by entrances or on the shady north side of houses. It blooms at the start of winter, feeding insects when little else is flowering.