Cogon Grass (Imperata Cylindrica) チガヤ（千萱）

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(I believe that) they are cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica). The grass is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and parts of Africa and can be found across Japan. It produces fluffy, white seed spikes from May to June.

Cogon grass is one of the most invasive weeds with a plain appearance but has been deeply appreciated and utilized in Japan for a long time, even mentioned in Kojiki (i.e., an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts, composed in the early 8th century) and Man'yōshū (i.e., the oldest extant collection of waka or poetry in Classical Japanese, compiled at the end of the Nara period [710-794]). The plant was also eaten in Japan after the war.

The flower means "affectionate," "guardian deity of children," and "we all want to be together" in Japanese floriography. 

2026/5/19

2026/5/19

Various Lacecap Hydrangeas 額紫陽花（ガクアジサイ）いろいろ

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It's almost impossible to classify lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis) based on color. Each one has cream, yellow, blue, purple, green, pink, and red fertile flowers surrounded by green, pink, blue, purple, red, and even white sterile decorative sepals, changing their gradients as time passes. It's reasonable that one of its Japanese names is "shichi henge," which translates into "seven changes." To see lacecap hydrangeas in pink or purple, read this post! 

2020/6/3

2020/6/3

Love-In-A-Mist (Nigella Damascena) ニゲラ（黒種草）

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Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is native to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southwestern Asia. The plant produces blue, pink (scroll down), purple, white (scroll down), and yellow flowers from April to July, which are distinguished from other flowers by their many long stamens. What appear to be petals are actually sepals as in the case of hydrangeas. 

The plant is also called "devil-in-a-bush" and some may wonder why it can be "devil-in-a-bush" and "love-in-a-mist" at the same time. The Hutchinson News (the relevant article is gone) gave me an answer. "The plant, when green and flowering, is called love-in-a-mist, but when the horned seed pods dry in the autumn, it changes, like Jekyll and Hyde, to the name of devil-in-the-bush." 

This is also true of Carolina cranesbill, which also has good and evil within them. If you wanna see an angel and a devil within Carolina cranesbill or its Jekyll-to-Hyde change, read this!! 

2020/5/25

Pink/Purple Lacecap Hydrangea ピンク・紫のガクアジサイ（額紫陽花）

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Hydrangeas are pleasing with their colors and these pink and purple mountain hydrangeas in particular because the blooms have not only beautiful sepals (sterile flowers) but also pretty petals (fertile flowers). The 4th photo is a close up of the center part consisting of real (fertile) flowers, which are so tiny and so beautiful!  To see lacecap hydrangeas in other colors, read this post! 

2026/5/14

2026/5/14

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

Pink mophead hydrangea

Colorful tea of heaven (Hydrangea serrata)

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

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Pink lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis)

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

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

2024/6/1

2024/6/1

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  

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

2025/6/8

Chinese St. John's Wort (Hypericum Monogynum) ビヨウヤナギ（未央柳）

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Chinese St. John's wort (Hypericum monogynum) is native to China, coming to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). It produces five petalled bright yellow flowers from June to July with incredibly long (also) bright yellow stamens where bees often bathe and dance.    

2026/5/19

MINI Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ミニザクロ（ミニ柘榴）

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The flowers are bright orange as the usual ones but are so mini as are the fruits (2nd photo)! They're MINI pomegranate (Punica granatum). 

2026/5/19

2024/8/3

Smiling Monkey Forest Tree (Magnolia Maudiae) ミヤマガンショウ（深山含笑）

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Smiling monkey forest trees (Magnolia maudiae) are native to China but can be found in some places in Tokyo (although not as often as you would find Yulan magnolias). The smiling monkey forest tree produces white flowers from February to March in Tokyo. 

I did research about why the magnolia is called "smiling monkey forest tree" but couldn't find any good origin of the name. Interestingly, its Japanese name translates into "smiling flowers in deep mountains." Maybe everyone seeing the flower is reminded of someone's or monkeys' smiling face. 

2026/2/28

2026/2/28

Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎（マテバシイ）

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These are the nuts of lithocarpus edulis or more commonly the Japanese stone oak. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website). I often picked the acorns when I was a child but I saw green acorns (2nd photo) for the first time.  

In Japan, the nuts of fagaceae trees are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."    

When these pale brown acorns turn dark brown, I hope the temperature and the number of Covid-19 patients will both become lower... 

2026/5/17

2021/8/31