Spring
1
East wind
melts the ice
Fiddleheads emerge
Feb 5-9
2
Dormant
creatures awake
Newts lay
eggs
Feb 10-14
3
Fish swim upstream
Daffodils
open
Feb 15-19
4
River otters sacrifice fish
Plum
blossoms
Feb 20-24
5
Wild geese head north
Violets
bloom
Feb 25-28/29
6
Grass and trees sprout
Daphne blooms
March 1-5
7
Peach
blossoms
Maple leaves unfurl
March 6-10
8
Golden orioles sing
Cherry blossoms
March 11-15
9
Hawks become doves
California poppies bloom
March 16-21
10
Swallows
return
Swallows return
March 22-26
11
Thunder
sings
Wild iris
bloom
March 27-31
12
First
lightning
Whales head north
April 1-5
13
Paulownia blooms
Paulownia blooms
April 6-10
14
Moles become quails
Wild rhododendrons
April 11-15
15
Rainbows appear
Snail eggs hatch
April 16-21
16
Floating weeds appear
Herbaceous peony blooms
April 22-26
17
Pigeons flap their wings
Wisteria blooms
April 27-May 1
18
Hoopoe in mulberry
Fawns
born
May 2-6
Summer
19
Little frogs
peep
Roses
bloom
May 7-11
20
Worms come
forth
Worms
flourish
May 12-16
21
Cucurbit
flourishes
Wild lupine
blooms
May 17-21
22
Bitter herb
grows tall
Matilija poppy
blooms
May 22-26
23
Waving grasses
wither
Hydrangea
blooms
May 27-31
24
Grain
ripens
Wild strawberries
June 1-5
25
Mantids
hatch
Dragonflies
appear
June 6-10
26
Shrike
shrieks
Hemlock
flowers
June 11-15
27
Mockingbird
looses voice
Blackberries
begin
June 16-20
28
Deer break
antlers
Loquats
ripen
June 21-25
29
Cicada
sings
Trumpet lilies
bloom
June 26-30
30
Crowdipper
flourishes
Morning glory
rampant
July 1-5
31
Hot winds
arrive
Fennel in
full flower
July 6-10
32
Crickets come
into walls
Naked lady
buds appear
July 11-15
33
Hawk studies
and learns
Bellflower
opens
July 16-20
34
Rotted weeds
into fireflies
Poison oak
reddens
July 21-25
35
Earth is
steaming wet
Fawns
lose spots
July 26-30
36
Great rains
sweep through
Acorns
form
July 31-Aug 5
Autumn
37
Cool wind arrives
Fog
rolls in
Aug 6-10
38
White dew descends
Fringed cornlily
blooms
Aug 11-15
39
Cold cicada chirps
Crickets
cry
Aug 16-20
40
Raptor sacrifices birds
Oriental lily
blooms
Aug 21-25
41
Heaven and earth turn strict
Windflower
blooms
Aug 26-30
42
Rice
ripens
Pampas grass
withers
Aug 31-Sept 4
43
Wild geese come
Cow parsnip withers
Sept 5-9
44
Swallows
leave
Swallows
leave
Sept 10-14
45
Flocks of birds
gather grain
Chanterelles appear
Sept 15-20
46
Thunder pipes down
Persimmons ripen
Sept 21-25
47
Beetles wall up their burrows
Maples lose leaves
Sept 26-30
48
Waters
dry up
Fogs
dry up
Oct 1-5
49
Wild geese come as guests
Monarchs
gather
Oct 6-10
50
Sparrow turn
into clams
Chrysanthemum
blooms
Oct 11-15
51
Chrysanthemum is tinged yellow
Cymbidium
buds open
Oct 16-21
52
Wolf sacrifices beasts
Saffron
blooms
Oct 22-26
53
Leaves turn yellow and fall
Ginkgo
yellows
Oct 27-31
54
Insects tuck themselves away
Fire danger
high
Nov 1-5
Winter
55
Water begins to freeze
The rains
begin
Nov 6-10
56
Earth begins to freeze
Tea flowers bloom
Nov 11-15
57
Pheasants
into monsters
Mushrooms emerge
Nov 16-20
58
Rainbows
hide
Banana slugs emerge
Nov 21-25
59
Heaven rises
earth sinks
Ticks
abound
Nov 26-30
60
Winter takes hold
Crabs
are fat
Dec 1-5
61
Copper pheasant silent
Days are warm, nights are cold
Dec 6-10
62
Tiger begins to roam
Newts begin to roam
Dec 11-15
63
Garlic chives sprout
Oxalis
blooms
Dec 16-20
64
Earthworms
twist
Moss glows green
Dec 21-25
65
Elk break
antlers
Paper narcissi bloom
Dec 26-30
66
Springwaters move
Rivers
are full
Dec 31- Jan 4
67
Wild geese return north
Whales head south
Jan 5-9
68
Magpies
nest
Mule deer break antlers
Jan 10-14
69
Pheasant cock calls its mate
Field mustard blooms
Jan 15-19
70
71
Pheasant hen broods
Vulture flies stern and swift
Loquat
blooms
Acacia
blooms
Jan 20-24
Jan 25-29
72
Streams and marshes frozen solid
Wild cucumber shoots
emerge
Jan 30-Feb 4