How to Write 槐 (huái) — Meaning “Locust tree”

Imagine a ghost (鬼) sitting on a tree (木) branch — that spooky tree is a locust tree. This visual of a "ghost tree" helps you link the two parts to the meaning and pronunciation.

Write the left radical 木 first, making it narrow. Then write 鬼: start with a short left-falling stroke, then a long horizontal stroke with a hook, then a left-falling stroke, then the small 厶 inside, and finally a dot. A common mistake is forgetting the dot at the bottom right of 鬼.

All three characters have the 木 radical, but their right parts differ: 槐 has 鬼 (ghost), 桫 has 沙 (sand), and 桲 has 孛 (comet). Visually, 槐's right side is more complex. In meaning, they refer to different trees: 槐 is the locust tree, 桫 is a fern tree, and 桲 is the quince tree.

槐 appears in common words like 槐树 (locust tree) and 槐花 (sophora flower), which is used in tea and traditional Chinese medicine. The locust tree is also a cultural symbol in Chinese villages, often planted for shade and its fragrant flowers used in cooking.

Common words containing 槐 include: 槐树 (huái shù) — Locust tree; 槐花 (huái huā) — Sophora flower; 槐米 (huái mǐ) — Sophora flower buds.