The kanji 茂 primarily conveys the meaning of "luxuriant," "thriving," "dense," or "abundant," specifically referring to plant growth. It suggests a state of flourishing, where plants are growing vigorously and are full, thick, and healthy. It often describes vegetation that is lush and plentiful.

・On-yomi (音読み): モ (mo) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): しげ (shige)

⚫︎ 草木茂る Translation: For plants to grow luxuriantly; Plants are overgrown ⚫︎ 繁茂 Translation: Overgrowth; flourishing; luxuriance ⚫︎ 茂林 Translation: Dense forest; thick woods

The kanji 茂 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). It combines the semantic component 艸 (くさ, grass/plants) with the phonetic component 戊 (ぼ, pronounced mo). The meaning of 艸 (くさ) suggests the area of meaning, which relates to the character's focus on plants and vegetation. The component 戊 (ぼ) is included for its sound. The overall structure suggests the flourishing of plants and emphasizes the abundance and growth.