African Iris (Dietes Bicolor) ディエテス・ビコロル/オキナワシャガ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It looks like smiling to you, doesn't it? This is an African iris (Dietes bicolor). When seeing it for the first time, I didn't use Google Lens yet, so I did research using several keywords in Japanese, such as "flower," "white," and "look like a smiling face," which generated only one hit, "African iris." African irises are native to, and very common in, South Africa while in Japan, not the flowers but the sword like leaves are used for Japanese flower arrangement. 

2026/6/4

Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea Arborescens 'Annabelle') アナベル

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Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') is a cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens. The hydrangea is a late bloomer, producing flowers from May to July, which are lime green at first, turning white. Below are the shots of various hydrangeas. Hope you enjoy them!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' (Popcorn hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

2026/6/2

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ザクロ（柘榴）

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The pomegranate (Punica granatum) originated in the region spanning from the west to south Asia to the Middle East. It produces bright orange flowers in June and fruits that contain ruby-like edible seeds and pulp from September to October in Japan. 

The flowers always cheer me up with their bright orange while making me chuckle with their unique shape after petals fall off, which looks like an octopus sausage, i.e., a sausage cut to look like an octopus, often seen in children’s Bento lunches in Japan. BTW, octopuses have no legs but only arms.

If you've never seen a sculpture of a pomegranate fruit made of agate and ruby, read this post! You should be surprised by how real it looks!  

2025/6/8

Double "Sepaled" Lacecap Hydrangeas 八重額紫陽花（ヤエガクアジサイ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Double-sepaled lacecap hydrangeas are different from usual (single-petaled) ones. They're more gorgeous. If you love hydrangeas, read the posts below! 

Red mophead hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' (Annabelle hydrangea)

Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha (Popcorn Hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Colorful tea of heaven (Hydrangea serrata)

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/5/26

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I always felt something was wrong when passing by them and I get it today. They're apple mint growing on the sidewalk. Did someone plant them there? Or did they come from somewhere and are they now growing wild? I've just started to grow lemon balm and chocolate mint myself, so I couldn't imagine herbs growing wildly. But I was wrong. The apple mint was so invasive that many websites advise against planting in the ground.  

2026/6/5

White/Whitish Hydrangea 白い紫陽花

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are white hydrangeas in my neighborhood. Many of them are pale/lime green before turning white. 

2026/6/5

2026/6/5  A fertile flower

Double Flowered Fish Mint 八重咲きのドクダミ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are. 

Fish mints are used in Chinese medicine and in Japan, fish mint tea is said to be effective for skin problems. I suffered from severe acne in my teenage years so my late maternal granny sometimes sent me fish mint tea bags. I don't know if they were effective but I believe that thanks to the tea, I have no acne or any serious skin problems now. 

2026/5/29 Triplets

Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) ウズアジサイ（渦紫陽花）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.

2022/6/16  

2022/6/16

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

2026/6/4

Purple Hydrangea 紫の紫陽花

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A hydrangea changing from pink to purple and other purple hyerangeas. Below are the shots of hydrangeas I've seen so far.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' (Popcorn hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/6/4

2026/6/4  Fertile flower

Japanese Wax (Toxicodendron Succedaneum) ハゼノキ（櫨の木）

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The red color in early June caught my eye. They're leaves of the Japanese wax tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum). According to the internet, they can turn red in June due to sun protection, which makes sense to me. Despite being still June, the weather was like real summer, which must have resulted in them suddenly exposed to intense, direct summer sun, producing high levels of anthocyanin. 

2026/6/2