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

Sato Cherry Blossoms　サトザクラ（里桜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are a variety of Sato cherry trees (Cerasus sato-zakura group) but they're all cultivated from Oshima cherry. Sato cherry trees are late bloomers, so you can enjoy their cherry blossoms after the "cherry blossom" season in Japan, which means the Somei Yoshino cherry blossom season. If you're interested in other types of cherry trees, read this post!

2023/4/9

Pink Ajuga　モモイロジュウニヒトエ（桃色十二単）

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These are pink ajuga. I've seen ajuga many times but they were all purple.

2026/4/8

List of Cherry Blossoms　桜いろいろ

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Below are the cherry blossoms I've ever seen. Hope you'll enjoy them!

Three-Cornered Leek (Allium Triquetrum)　ミツカドネギ（三角葱）

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Three-cornered leeks (Allium triquetrum) are native to the Mediterranean region but can now be found across Japan. It produces flowers with a beautiful contrast between the white petals and the green stripes against the thin green leaves from March to May. Their appearance is angelic but the smell is not as you can guess from their not only English name but also Japanese name mitsukado negi, which translates to "triangular leeks," after their triangular flower stems. Three-cornered leeks are invasive. The solution proposed on many websites in Japan is to EAT, EAT, and EAT.

2026/4/7

Yellow Cherry Blossoms (Ukon Cherry)　黄色の桜「ウコン（鬱金）」

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These are Ukon cherry blossoms (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner). Yes, cherry blossoms are not necessary pink. Ukon blossoms are YELLOW while those of Gioiko cherry trees are GREEN. Ukon and Gioiko cherry trees are both late bloomers.

2025/4/20

2024/4/13

European Ajuga (Ajuga Reptans)　セイヨウキランソウ（西洋金瘡小草）

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Ajuga is native to Europe and western and central Asia but can now be found across Japan. You would see mainly two types of Ajuga in Japan, Ajuga reptans or bugleweed, which is native to Europe and grows taller, and Ajuga decumbens, which is native to Japan and low growing. Ajuga are so hardy that you can find both in many places even on sidewalks in Central Tokyo. Although their height differs, the flowers resemble each other very much.

2026/4/7 European ajuga (Ajuga reptans)

Japanese Ajuga (Ajuga Decumbens)　金瘡小草（キランソウ）

2026/4/1

Japanese Camellia 'Beauty Blush'　ツバキ 'Beauty Blush'

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These are Japanese camellia 'Beauty Blush.' It was my first time to see this type of camellias. The blooms are so small (and many of them were still buds) that I didn't realize they're camellias when photographing them. I was lucky though. A couple of bees with bee pollen came, starting to collect pollen. The bee pollen of one of the bees was so big (1st photo) that I worried if it might fall but that was an unnecessary worry. The bee landed from one flower to another collecting pollen from each flower and flew away.

2026/4/5

Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms (Prunus x Yedoensis)　染井吉野（ソメイヨシノ）

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These are Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis). There are a variety of cherry trees but Somei Yoshino is so special in Japan that the term "cherry blossoms" often means Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are all gorgeous but differently from other flowers, i.e., always associated with death or ephemerality because of their short life span of one to two weeks.

The beauty reminds me of "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki, which ends with cherry blossoms viewing in Kyoto. The novel has no plot but is so intriguingly beautiful, based on the real life of the sisters of Tanizaki's wife, with a writing style which currently may not be necessarily popular due to long sentences. Its original title "sasame yuki" translates to "light snow," a metaphor of the Makioka family, which is declining and therefore showing the ephemeral beauty as cherry blossoms. The novel was translated into English by Edward G. Seidensticker. It's pretty long but worthwhile reading if you're interested in Japanese culture.

Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms are pinkish white as opposed to Oshima cherry blossoms, which at first are whitish pink, then turn to baby pink. If you're interested in other types of cherry blossoms, read the posts below!!

2023/3/29

2025/4/6

Chinese Quince (Pseudocydonia Sinensis)　カリン（花梨）

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The Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) is native to China but now can be found across Japan. The plant is known for the fruits but enjoyable throughout the year. Its pink flowers are pretty, jam made from the fruits is yummy, and the autumn leaves are so colorfully beautiful.

2025/4/9

2026/4/7

2025/4/9

Japanese Star Anise (Illicium Anisatum)　シキミ（樒）

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Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The plant produces pretty cream white flowers from March to May and fruits from September to October but it's toxic in its entirety and the toxicity of the fruits and seeds is quite high, resulting in death when eaten. The thing is the fruits resemble those of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) very much, which are used in cooking, so the mistaking of Japanese star anise for Chinese ones could lead to fatal accidents. The tree grows in my neighborhood without any protection, so I did research, wondering if the tree might be Chinese star anise but it's not. Chinese star anise flowers are red. For their toxic nature, Japanese star anise fruits are designated as a deleterious substance under Poisonous Deleterious Substances Control Act in Japan but the growing the plant is not prohibited.

2026/3/31