Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) セイヨウイラクサ（西洋刺草）

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The common nettle (Urtica dioica) is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and western North Africa and now found worldwide but I didn't know it can grow in a sidewalk gutter like those in these photos in Central Tokyo. I have rhinitis, so I was considering buying a nettle seedling to grow it at home but not anymore! 

2026/7/5

Onidokoro (Dioscorea Tokoro) オニドコロ（鬼野老）

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The onidokoro (Dioscorea tokoro) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing tiny (about 5mm in diameter) cream green flowers from July to August. It's in the yam family but unlike other yams, the onidokoro's thick rhizome is extremely bitter and contains toxic compounds like dioscorine, making it generally inedible. 

2026/7/5

Lysimachia Clethroides (Gooseneck Loosestrife) 丘虎の尾（オカトラノオ）

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The gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing white flowers from June to August. It's edible and used to be eaten in Japan as a famine plant (although it tastes bitter and astringent). The plant's Japanese name is "Okatora no o," which translates into "tiger tail growing on hills," after its flower spikes looking like tiger tails.  

2026/7/5 With a marmalade hoverfly

Double-Flowered Roses of Sharon 八重咲きの木槿

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The rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) produces single and double-flowered blooms. Single-flowered blooms are elegantly beautiful while double-flowered ones are gorgeous. I like both!

2026/7/1

Johnson Grass (Sorghum Halepense) セイバンモロコシ（西播蜀黍）

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Johnson grass or Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa, parts of Western Asia, and the Middle East, came to Japan as an invasive plant in around 1945, and can now can be found across the country but Hokkaido (i.e., the northernmost part of Japan). I looked up the origin of the name, finding that the plant is named after an Alabama plantation owner, Colonel William Johnson, who introduced the plant to his farm in around 1840 as a prospective forage. Johnsongrass, however, has been found to become poisonous under stress (e.g., frost) and be toxic to livestock. 

Despite such hardiness and toxicity, however, Johnsongrass produces tiny and cute flowers.  

2025/6/29

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) 木槿（ムクゲ）

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The rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is native to China, came to Japan at the beginning of the Heian period (794 to 1185), and can be found across Japan. The plant produces simple and double flowered white and pink flowers from July to October and its flowers are used for display at Japanese tea ceremonies in summer.  

2026/7/1

Asian Swallowtail (Papilio Xuthus) ナミアゲハ（並揚羽）

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The Asian swallowtail (Papilio xuthus) is found in Asia, Siberia and the Hawaiian Islands and can be found across Japan. Its female is known to have clearer blue areas in black bands on their hindwings, so most of those in these photos may be female. 

Butterflies usually close their wings when resting but are also known to open their wings to bask in the sun to warm their bodies, which gave me the moment to take these photos. 

2026/6/30

Five-Seeded Plume-Poppy (Macleaya Cordata) タケニグサ（竹似草）

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The five-seeded plume-poppy (Macleaya cordata) is native to China, Taiwan, and Japan and can be found across Japan. Its Japanese name is "takeni gusa," which translates into "plant similar to bamboo," after it having hollow stems like bamboos. 

The plant shows its beauty in various ways. Spindle shaped white things (scroll down) are buds. Things that look like sparklers are flowers, which contain beautiful thread shaped white stamens and orange pistils (scroll down). Its brown capsules are also beautiful. 

2026/7/1

Hydrangea Serrata Var. Yesoensis F. Cuspidata Cv. 四季咲き姫紫陽花（シキザキヒメアジサイ）

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These are Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv., a type of mountain hydrangea. Their Japanese name is "shikizaki hime ajisai," which translates into "hydrangea blooming all year round." As the name suggests, the hydrangeas bloom for a longer period, i.e., the six months from June to December (not throughout the year though). Another feature is that the blooms change color at different pace one by one, resulting in various shades of pink, blue and purple. 

Their blue and purple color is beautiful but their bluish, pinkish, and purplish sepia gradients evoke a sense of nostalgic beauty. (Scroll down!)

Below are the shots of various hydrangeas. Hope you enjoy them, too!

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')

2023/5/28

2023/5/28

Antilles Mottlegill (Panaeolus Antillarum) ツヤマグソタケ（艶馬糞茸）

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It was great fun finding mushrooms that hadn't existed a few days earlier. They've just popped up for the past couple of days, during which it rained heavily due to a typhoon. Google Lens identifies them as antilles mottlegill (Panaeolus antillarum) but I'm not sure. 

Many mushrooms are safe to touch and eat (and tasty!) but some are not. In Japan, 30 to 70 people are treated for mushroom poisoning every year. The Japanese ministry of agriculture, forestry, and fishery has a website on 10 most typical poisonous mushrooms in Japan (in Japanese only).   

2026/6/30

East Asian Mallotus (Mallotus Japonicus) アカメガシワ（赤芽柏）

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East Asian mallotus (Mallotus japonicus) is native to East Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree is dioecious, producing male and female flowers on separate trees from June to July. The trees in this post are all female with female flowers, producing clusters of fruits and seeds (scroll down) in two months. The three to four branched red parts of the female flowers are stigmas.

2026/6/29