Rhaphiolepis umbellata

Rhaphiolepis umbellata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Growing to 1.5 m tall and wide, it is an evergreen shrub with glossy oval leaves, and scented white flowers, sometimes tinged with pink, in early summer.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is used in Japan as an astringent and a dyeing agent. The bark contains (−)-catechin 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and (+)-catechin 5-0-β-d-glucopyranoside.

Uses
Known as Sharinbai (車輪梅) in Japan and as Techigi in Amami Oshima, this plant is used to create a dye to create the highly valued Ōshima-tsumugi kimono. The bark of the tree is chopped into chips and boiled for over 10 hours. This tannin rich decoction serves as a dye for the silk threads. After dyeing, the threads are then dyed in mud from paddy fields rich in iron content for post-mordanting until they turn black.

Additionally, due to its resilience to drying and air pollution, Sharinbai trees are planted along roadsides. Their glossy evergreen leaves make them suitable for garden planting, enduring well against frequent pruning.