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

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The Japanese stone oak (Lithocarpus edulis) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website).  

In Japan, the nuts of Fagaceae trees, one of which is the Japanese stone oak, 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)."    

The tree's Japanese name is "mateba shii," which translates into "a tree becoming a chinquapin tree soon," because people prefer(ed) chinquapin nuts to the Japanese stone oak nuts.

2026/6/14

Common Myrtle (Myrtus Communis) ギンバイカ（銀梅花）

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The common myrtle (Myrtus communis) is native to regions spanning the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, Western Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and can now be found across the country. The myrtle produces white flowers from May to July in Japan. The common myrtle tree is considered in Feng Shui to bring luck if planted in the kimon (devil's gate) direction (i.e., north east).

2026/6/15

Chinese Trumpet Vine (Campsis Grandiflora) ノウゼンカズラ（凌霄花）

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These are Chinese trumpet vines (Campsis grandiflora). They're native to China, coming to Japan in as early as the Heian period (794 to 1185) and used as kigo for summer. (A kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.)  

Flowers of Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora) resemble those of American trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) very much. Both are orange and shaped like trumpets, but are still distinctly different in the length of the flower tube. Chinese ones have shorter and thicker flower tubes than the American counterparts. 

The phrase contained in the Japanese name "nouzen kazura" means "vine blooming towards the sky." The bright orange flowers were literally blooming towards the sky!! 

2026/6/14

2025/6/22

Japanese Ternstroemia (Ternstroemia Gymnanthera) 木斛（モッコク）

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Japanese ternstroemia trees are said to be the king of garden trees in Japan and there's a reason for that. They produce tiny buds in early June, which look like cat's paws, and then beautiful male and hermaphroditic flowers from late June to July. And in autumn, they bear fruits, which turn from green to red, and some of them stick out bright red seeds like tongues after cracking. Japanese ternstroemia trees bring us happiness throughout the year. 

2026/6/14

Plantain Lily (Hosta) ギボウシ（擬宝珠）

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Plantain lilies are native to eastern Asia and about 20 types of Hosta can be found across Japan, producing pale pink flowers from June to August. Their young leaves and petioles are edible, used in various Japanese dishes such as salads, pickles, and miso soup.  

The lily's Japanese name is "giboshi" or "giboshu," a type of ornamental finial used on Japanese railings (no English translation), after the shape of the lily's bud looking like the finial.

2026/6/14

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

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The Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora is a cross breed of Crocosmia aurea and Crocosmia pottsii, both of which are native to South Africa. The Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora was introduced to Japan at the end of the 19th century for ornamental purposes but because of its invasiveness, the plant has been designated as an invasive alien species by some prefectures.

Its Japanese name is "hime hiogi suisen," which translates into "princess blackberry lily narcissus," because of the resemblance of its leaves to those of blackberry lilies and the bulbs to those of narcissus. The term "hime," which means princess, is used to describe its smallness.  

2026/6/14

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

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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

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

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens) 突抜忍冬（ツキヌキニンドウ）

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The coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is native to North America, came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and can now be found across Japan. One of its features is its bright red and orange blooms during May to September in Japan, which is shown in its English name while another is in its Japanese name "tsukinuki nindou," which translates into "penetrating honeysuckle," after the stem looking like penetrating a leaf.   

2025/4/29

Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus Orientalis) コノテガシワ（児の手柏）

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I've always wondered what they are when passing by them for the last couple years and today, I did research, finding they're cones of the Oriental arborvitae. The tree is native to China and can be found across Japan.  

The Oriental arborvitae is hermaphroditic, producing orangish beige male and female flowers on the same tree from March to April, which I completely missed this year. 

2026/6/11

Lily (Lilium) ユリ（百合）

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Lilies are native to Asia, Europe, and North America. There are more than 100 wild species around the world and 15 in Japan, producing flowers in various colors from May to August in Japan, of which I've seen pale pink, yellow (scroll down), red (Blackout red), and orange (Thunberg orange). The lily bulb (mainly the Maximowicz's lily's [Lilium leichtlinii]) is edible, often steamed, sauteed or deep-fried (i.e., tempura), as a seasonal delicacy in Japan. So, if you have a chance to come to Japan in winter, don't miss eating lily bulb or "yurine" TEMPURA to enjoy its soft and fluffy texture.  

The lily's Japanese name is "yuri" after the term "yusuri," which means shaking or trembling, because lilies shake and/or tremble in the wind as their stems are thin but the flowers are big.

2026/6/11 Lilium concolor, an Asiatic hybrid