Both sasanqua and camellia are plants belonging to the same family, Camellia genus.  There are many ways to tell the difference, such as whether the flowers open and bloom or bloom as buds, whether the petals fall apart or fall entirely, whether the leaves are deeply jagged or shallow, etc., but it is difficult to distinguish them.  Seasonally, sasanqua blooms in the first half of winter, and camellia blooms in the latter half of winter.  Now is just the turning point, and the sasanqua is at its peak.  The various varieties are in bloom.  At dawn when the wind is a little strong, the petals of sasanqua are piled up.  On a day like today when the weather is mixed with ice and rain, the flowers are firmer and the dignity stands out even more.  By the way, the word “ice rain” can be used as a season word for both summer and winter in haiku.  When used to mean hail or sleet, it is used as a summer season word, and when used to mean cold rain or sleet, it is used as a winter season word.

山茶花も椿も同じツバキ科ツバキ属の植物です。花が開いて咲くか蕾んで咲くか、花びらがバラバラに落ちるか丸ごと落ちるか、葉のギザギザが深いか浅いか等々、見分け方はいろいろありますが、なかなか見分けがつきません。季節的には、山茶花は冬の前半に、椿は冬の後半に盛りになるのも特徴です。今がちょうど分かれ目で、山茶花はピークです。様々な品種が咲き切っています。少し風のきつい夜明けには山茶花の花びらが降り積もっています。今日の様に氷雨混じりの日は、花も引き締まって、いっそう凛々しさが目立ちます。ちなみに「氷雨」という言葉は、俳句では、夏の季語にもなり、冬の季語にもなります。雹(ひょう)や霰(あられ)を意味して用いる場合は夏の季語、冷たい雨や霙「みぞれ）を意味して用いる場合は冬の季語として使われます。