枯 means “wither, dry up”

かれる · kareru

Also: die, be seasoned

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
かれる, からす
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
コ

JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

A tree (木) grown old (古): leaves withering, branches gone dry. 枯れる is to wither, 枯れ葉 are dead leaves, and 枯山水, the raked-gravel gardens of Kyoto's Zen temples, make rivers and seas without a drop of water.

Used in 枯れる (kareru, to wither), 枯れ葉 (kareha, dead leaves), and 枯山水 (karesansui, dry landscape garden)

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.