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

2026/4/5

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!!

• Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)
• Pink & white Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa)
• Weeping cherry blossoms

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

Small Skullcaps (Scutellaria Indica L. Var. Parvifolia (Makino) Makino) コバノタツナミ（小葉の立浪）

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Small skullcaps (Scutellaria indica L. var. parvifolia (Makino) Makino) are native to Japan, Korea, China, and the Indochina Peninsula and can be found across Japan. Small skullcaps produce pale purple translucent flowers from May to June. 

Small skullcaps may require various conditions to grow. I've found the plant in only two places so far. Because of their unique shape, small skullcaps always remind me of Hattifatteners and I prefer their side view to the front! 

2026/4/5

2026/4/5

Takasago Cherry Blossoms タカサゴザクラ（高砂桜）

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Takasago cherry is said to be a crossbreed of Choji cherry and Sato cherry. The cherry produces beautiful pale pink double flowered blossoms. If you're interested in other types of cherry blossoms, read this post!   

2025/4

2026/4/1

2026/4/1

Ajuga キランソウ（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. 

Ajuga decumbens has various names in Japanese, such as "Lid of cauldron of hell" by comparing the plant, which covers the ground, to the lid of the cauldron of hell or "(Plant) keeping doctors away" because of its pain relief effects.

Both are tiny and beautiful and always bring me happiness with their funny shape, which looks to me like a person floating with open arms!

2026/4/1 Japanese ajuga

2026/4/1 Japanese ajuga

2026/4/7 European ajuga

Baby Blue Eye (Nemophila Menziesii) ネモフィラ（瑠璃唐草）

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Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii) are native to North America but now grown across Japan. Their Japanese name is "ruri karakusa," which translates to "lapis lazuli arabesque." 

More than a dozen gardens in Japan have grown baby blue eyes, attracting many tourists. One of them is the Hitachi Sunrise Park in Ibaraki prefecture, which has grown the plant since 2002 and its more than 5 million baby blue eyes went viral from 2015 to 2018. The park attracted 800,000 people in April and May, the baby blue eyes season, in 2025 with an admission fee of about 3 dollars per person! You can't underestimate social media's power, can you? 

The baby blue eye in the first and second photos is growing wild. Maybe some baby blue eyes are exhausted from too much attention, wanting to be alone. 

2026/3/31

2026/3/31

Malus Halliana (Hall Crabapple) 花海棠（ハナカイドウ）

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Hall crabapple (Malus halliana) is native to China and came to Japan in the 14th century, but can now be found across the country. The tree produces flowers in April and then fruits of 1 cm in diameter, which look like small apples. The fruits ripen in October. As hall crabapples flower in April, at almost the same time as cherry trees do, they're often disregarded but their color change is worthwhile observing. The buds are deeper pink like Taiwan cherry blossoms but when open become paler pink but brighter than Somei Yoshino or Oshima cherry blossoms. 

2026/4/3

2026/4/3

Chinese Violet Cress (Orychophragmus Violaceus) オオアラセイトウ（大紫羅欄花）

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Chinese violet cress (Orychophragmus violaceus), which is native to China, was imported to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867) and has been growing in the wild across the country since then. Those in the photos taken in 2026 are wildflowers in my neighborhood. The plant flowers from March to May, showing a beautiful contrast between the purple petals and the yellow anthers.  

2026/3/31

2026/3/31

Common Blue Violet (Viola Sororia) アメリカスミレサイシン（亜米利加菫細辛）

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Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is native to eastern North America. It was imported to Japan in or after the Meiji period (1868-1912) and can now be found across the country. Despite such beauty (especially purple veins!), the violet is often treated as weeds in Japan. Those in these photos should be, too. They're just growing on sidewalks, seeming to enjoy themselves unattended.       

2026/3/28

2026/3/28