「楝」は、センダン（学名: Melia azedarach）の古名とのこと。
オウチ(楝 あふち)ですか！「センダン」にそんな別名があるなんて初めて聞いたわ！
などと思っていたら、こちらの方がもともとの呼び名だったとの事で
清少納言が『枕草子』で「楝の花いとをかし」と称していたり、万葉集にはその可憐な花や実を愛でる歌が残されていることから、平安時代には「楝おうち」という呼び方が一般的だったことが想像できます。その語源は、「淡い藤（あわいふじ）」に由来し、初夏に咲く「淡い藤色の花」から「あふち」や「おうち」と呼ばれていたとのことでした、
しかしその後、いつのころから「せんだん」と呼ばれるようになったのか、どのように呼び名が変化したのかは「謎」なのです。
楝（おうち）＝センダン（学名: Melia azedarach）は、センダン科センダン属に分類される落葉高木です。薬用植物の一つとしても知られていて、果実はしもやけ、樹皮は虫下し、葉は虫除けにするなど、重宝された樹木です。
博物学者の「南方熊楠」が愛した木として有名だそうです。
京都復興教会のセンダンもなんだかんだ、皆に愛されている木です
見上げた空いっぱいのせんだんの木！いまは花がたくさん咲き、、その花が雨のごとく降り注いでいます。美しくもあるのですが、履いても履いても「水たまり」ではなく「花だまり」が秒でできるほどの量で、ため息ものです。
センダンの花言葉は、「意見の相違」
以前のエピソードもあるのでよかったら読んでみてくださいね→センダン
What Is “Ōchi” (楝)?
“Ōchi” (also read Afuchi) is actually the old Japanese name for the tree now known as Sendan (Melia azedarach).
Ōchi? I had no idea Sendan had such a name!
That was my initial reaction—but it turns out that Ōchi was the original name for the tree.
In The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon, she writes:
“The flowers of the ōchi are so delightful.”
Likewise, the Man'yōshū, Japan’s oldest collection of poetry, includes poems praising the delicate flowers and fruits of this tree. These literary references suggest that during the Heian period, the name Ōchi (or Afuchi) was commonly used.
The name is believed to come from “Awafuji” (pale wisteria), referring to the soft purple hue of the flowers that bloom in early summer. Over time, this poetic image became associated with the tree, giving rise to the names Afuchi and Ōchi.
When Did It Become “Sendan”?
However, no one really knows when or how the name changed from Ōchi to Sendan.
The origin of this modern name remains a mystery.
Ōchi or Sendan (Melia azedarach) is a deciduous tree belonging to the mahogany family (Meliaceae).
It has long been valued not just for its beauty but for its medicinal uses:
Its fruit was used to treat chilblains
Its bark served as a deworming agent
Its leaes acted as an insect repellent
This tree has been deeply useful and respected throughout history.
It’s also famously loved by the great Japanese naturalist Minakata Kumagusu, who admired its natural charm and utility.
Even today, the Sendan tree at Kyoto Fukkō Church is cherished by many. It's a part of everyday life—whether people notice it or not, they seem to love it.
Look up, and you’ll see the sky filled with the soft blooms of the Sendan tree.
Right now, the flowers are blooming in full force, and they fall like gentle rain from above.
It’s undeniably beautiful—but there are so many petals that you could sweep them endlessly, and still, within seconds, new "pools of flowers" would form where you'd just cleaned.
It’s almost like stepping into a flower storm—charming, yes I can't help but sigh.
The flower language of the Sendan is “difference of opinion.”
If you're interested, feel free to check out earlier episodes I’ve written about the Sendan tree too! → センダン
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