In Japan, a cypress bush brings bright colors in the summer, a witch’s broom in the fall

It’s spooky season and while many of us are still staying home, there are plenty of fun activities to keep us entertained this Halloween.

Yoshihito Morita of Stars and Stripes Misawa Office is celebrating the season with his DIY project to fashion a witch’s broom with hokigi, or mock cypress, he planted in May.

The mock cypress is a popular annual herb, which grows in short, bushy shrubs in a vibrant green color. When summer is over, the plant transforms into a bright violet color which eventually dries to a light brown in fall. You can find these plants to get a closer look at the Misawa Red Cross garden.

“I like the herb because it lasts a long time and keeps regaling us with its changing colors and cute shape until late fall, while all other flowers end by fall,” Morita said.

In Japan, the thin, strong and resilient branches have long been used to for sweeping the home. Morita said he had originally intended to make a smaller broom but his plants this year yielded one for a larger one perfect for a witch…or perhaps, just to sweep the floors at home.

Happy Halloween!