Purple Heart (Tradescantia Pallida) ムラサキゴテン（紫御殿）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) is native to Mexico, came to Japan in around 1955, and can now be found across the country. The plant produces purple flowers from June to September, which creates a beautiful contrast with its deep purple leaves and yellow stamens.  

Speaking of purple, Japan has several types of purple, e.g., Kyo murasaki or Kyoto purple and Edo murasaki or Tokyo purple. Both are made from purple gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon), but Kyoto purple is older and more reddish than Tokyo purple.

I compared the two purple colors, wondering which purple the Tradescantia pallida leaves are, but couldn't decide. To me, these leaves look just between Kyoto and Tokyo purple. So, I have decided to call it "Nagoya" purple, i.e., the purple of a city between Kyoto and Tokyo!😆

2026/8/4

2020/10/6

Apple Mint (Mentha Suaveolens) アップルミント

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A weevil was resting on, and a bee was gathering pollen from, flowers of apple mints in my neighborhood. They're growing on the sidewalk. I have no idea about how they got there. 

2026/6/13

2026/6/13

Fruits of Cornus Florida (Flowering Dogwood) 花水木（ハナミズキ）の実

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These are fruits (drupes) of Cornus florida or dogwood flowers. The fruits don't resemble those of Cornus kousa but the flowers of the two Cornus species do. You may not know but the autumn leaves of Cornus florida are gorgeous. 

2026/7/31

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja Davidii) フサフジウツギ（房藤空木）

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Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is native to western China, came to Japan in 1890, and can now be found across Japan, producing white and pink flowers from July to October. Those in these photos grow in a vacant lot in Central Tokyo on which a house or something is to be built. This means they should be removed soon.  

2026/7/30

Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum Odoratissimum) サンゴジュ（珊瑚樹）

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Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree produces clusters of white flowers from June to July and red berries from July to October in Japan and because of the color of the berries, the tree's Japanese name is "sango ju," which translates into "coral tree." The berries are beautiful but toxic. 

2026/5/28

Meadowhawk (Sympetrum) 赤とんぼ 「夕焼け小焼けの♬」

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There are about 20 types of meadowhawk (Sympetrum) in Japan and they're all called "red dragonflies." And I believe that these photos are of two of them; noshime dragonfly (Sympetrum infuscatum) and crimson dropwing (Trithemis aurora). 

Red dragonflies are so popular in Japan that they have a song for children titled "Red dragonfly," which is very famous. 

If you're interested in blue dragonflies, read the following posts: Blue-tailed forest hawks and White-tailed skimmers.

2026/7/30 Noshime dragonfly (Sympetrum infuscatum)

ノシメトンボ（熨斗目蜻蛉）

Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana Simplex) アオギリ（青桐）

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The Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana simplex) is native to southern China and southeast Asia and can be found across Japan, producing flowers from May to July and seedpods in autumn. 

I've walked around the tree many times but it wasn't until I saw the seedpods and their pea-like seeds scattered on the ground that I noticed the tree's presence. The seeds are edible when roasted. 

2026/7/29

Geometer Moth シャクガ

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The moth looks like a small purplish gray (Iridopsis humaria) but it can't. A small purplish gray exists in only North America according to information on the internet. 

2026/7/26

Pale Grass Blue (Pseudozizeeria Maha) 大和小灰蝶（ヤマトシジミ）

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A male pale grass blue (Pseudozizeeria maha) butterfly looks completely different when its wings are open (1st photo) and closed (2nd photo). When closed, you may disregard it because it's plain, just a small white butterfly with black spots. When the wings are open, however, you would be surprised by the beautiful pale blue of the upper side of its wings as suggested by the name. (If you want to see the butterfly showing both sides, see the 3rd photo.) Butterflies are known to open their wings to bask in the sun to warm their bodies, so you're more likely to see the beautiful blue in autumn than summer.   

The pale grass blue resembles the plains cupid (Luthrodes pandava) very much except for the latter having orange spots on the wings. I once mistook a plains cupid for a pale grass blue.   

2025/11/2

Pink Pavonia (Pavonia Hastata) ヤノネボンテンカ（矢の根梵天花）

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Pink pavonia (Pavonia hastata) is native to South America and was introduced to Japan for ornamental purposes. It produces pinkish white flowers from August to September. The flower has a red throat, creating a beautiful contrast with its pink petals.

2026/7/29

2026/7/29

Hydrangea 'Magical Revolution' マジカルレボリューション

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Hydrangea macrophylla 'Magical Revolution' is really magical from two perspectives. Firstly, its spectacular, color-shifting transformation. The hydrangea changes from pale pink, blue, and green in early summer to red toward autumn. (Scroll down!) Secondly, its long life! The hydrangea's sepals (not petals!) are so sturdy that they can bloom for two to three months while changing color.  

It changes color to red in autumn due to increasing anthocyanin resulting from a change in the temperature and/or the amount of ultraviolet radiation. For whatever the reason, the hydrangea is just magically amazing. 

2026/5/29

2026/6/2