扶桑 has three distinct layers of meaning that overlap in literary and historical Chinese. In ancient mythology it refers to a divine mulberry tree where the sun rises, and by extension it became a classical poetic name for Japan. Separately, it is also the botanical name for the Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), a common ornamental flower. The mythological/Japan sense is primarily encountered in historical texts, classical poetry, and formal contexts, while the flower sense is used in gardening and everyday speech.