Plants and Flowers in Tokyo & Japanese Culture by Kei Narujima　東京の草花＆つぶやき

Skunkvine (Paederia Foetida)　屁糞葛（ヘクソカズラ）

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Skunkvine (Paederia foetida) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. The perception of the plant in Japan is it's smelly (as in other countries), so its Japanese name is "hé kuso kazura," which translates to "fart shxx vine." The plant is also so hardy that it was sung in a waka poem by an Imperial Court official in the Nara period (710-794), who wished to work hardily like the plant, and the poem is included in The Manyōshū, i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese waka poetry compiled during that period.

Despite such a terrible name and the smell, however, the flower's glossy red center always reminds me of jam thumbprint cookies.

2025/7/4

2025/6/29

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea Quercifolia)　カシワバアジサイ（柏葉紫陽花）

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These are oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). As suggested by the name, they have oak leaf shaped leaves. The flowers are greenish white at first but turn white and then red. The leaves also turn red in autumn. Like other hydrangeas, what look like petals are not petals but are sepals. The bloom in the third photo is called "harmony" oakleaf hydrangea.

2025/7/3

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

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The hydrangea season is over and the mallow season has started in Japan. These are roses of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Roses of Sharon ate native to China, coming to Japan at the beginning of the Heian period (794 to 1185). They produce white and pink flowers and are used for display at Japanese tea ceremonies in summer.

2025/7/2

Blue-Tailed Forest Hawk (Orthetrum Triangulare Melania)　オオシオカラトンボ（大塩辛蜻蛉）

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This is a blue-tailed forest hawk (Orthetrum triangulare melania). The dragonfly can be found across Japan from June to September. Its blue gray body is so beautiful that I wanted to photograph it from above and side, but couldn't. That's a big difference from photographing plants, which don't move unless it's windy so you can come back the following day but which also makes the moment more memorable.

Like blue skimmers, female blue-tailed forest hawks are not blue but yellow.

2025/7/1

Plane Tree (Platanus)　プラタナス/スズカケノキ（鈴懸の木）

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Tiny, cream and red things scattered on the ground caught my eye. They're ribbon-shaped (so cute!), making me look up and find their source, plane trees. These tiny things are their flowers. The plane tree is native to the Northern Hemisphere and quite large. I've seen London plane trees, but saw plane trees for the first time.

The plane tree is called "suzukake no ki" in Japanese, which translates to "kasaya tree," after the tree with hanging flowers and fruits looking like "kasaya," clothing worn by Buddhist monks.

2025/6/30

Chinese Cucumber and Pumpkin Beetle　黄烏瓜と黒瓜葉虫

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You see Chinese cucumbers (Trichosanthes kirilowii) and then you see pumpkin beetles (Aulacophora nigripennis) on them. The Chinese cucumber is dioecious, flowering from June to September and fruiting from August to October. The fruits, which are green at first and then turn yellow, are edible but not tasty. Someone says on the internet that he would never eat it unless famine comes😆.

Pumpkin beetles are harmful but their tininess, agility and color contrast between orange and black never fails to bring me a smile.

2025/6/29

Coppertips (Crocosmia)　姫檜扇水仙（ヒメヒオウギスイセン）

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Their bright orange was so vivid, catching my eye. They're Coppertips (Crocosmia) or montbretias. They (or more specifically their parents) are native to South Africa but can be found now across Japan and because of their hardiness, i.e., invasiveness, their growth is prohibited in some prefectures in Japan.

In Japanese, they're called "hime hiogi suisen," which translates to "princess blackberry lily narcissus" because of the resemblance of their leaves to those of blackberry lilies and their bulbs to those of narcissus. The term "hime," which means princess, is used to describe their smallness. Logical in a way but complicated!

2025/6/27

Robber Fly (Asilidae)　ムシヒキアブ（虫引虻）

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This is a robber fly or assassin fly (Asilidae). As suggested by the name, robber flies attack and eat mainly other insects, even wasps. Some websites say the robber fly is one of the most powerful predatory insects. This robber fly, however, didn't show any sign of such aggressiveness while I was taking these photos, just resting on a leaf.

2025/6/26

Blue Dawn Flower　ノアサガオ（野朝顔）

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These are blue dawn flowers or blue morning glories (Ipomoea indica). They're morning glories but different from usual ones (e.g., Ipomoea nil), flowering in not only summer but autumn. The photos below are taken from June to November.

Blue morning glories are larger, about 10 cm in diameter. They're hardy or in other words invasive and for that, they're designated as an invasive plant in Japan and other countries.

2025/6/19

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum)　ザクロ（柘榴）

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These are photos of pomegranate flowers and fruits. 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

2025/5/29

2025/6/24

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

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These are photos of Annabelle hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') from May to August. Annabelle hydrangeas are late bloomers, changing color from lime green to 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)