Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea) 立葵（タチアオイ）

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Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are native to Turkey and East Europe but can be found across Japan. The plant produces white, pink, purple, and red flowers (single and double flowered) from June to August in Japan. Their Japanese name is "tachi aoi," which translates into "standing mallow," and mallows have a special connotation in Japan. 

"Mitsuba aoi," which translates to "three leafed mallow," is the crest of the Tokugawa clan, who ruled Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). This is known nationwide even now because of a long run "samurai" television program about Mitsukuni Tokugawa (1628-1701), one of the grandchildren of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. This period drama was aired initially from 1969 to 2011 and is still rerun now.   

In the drama, Mitsukuni travels throughout the country incognito to discover and investigate injustice and in the end defeats and punishes corrupt samurai and merchants. At the end of each episode, Mitsukuni (or more specifically, one of his two samurai retainers) brandishes an "inro" pillbox with the "three leafed mallow" crest to reveal Mitsukuni's identity, i.e., a member of the Tokugawa clan. (By the way, although Mitsukuni existed and was a relation of the shogun, the drama episodes are all fictional.)

Interestingly, however, the Tokugawa clan's crest is not "three leafed mallow" actually but Asarum caulescens Maxim., which is a very plain, two-leafed or heart shaped plant. The Tokugawa clan's crest, three-leafed mallow, is said to be modeled on this plain plant.

Then, another question comes up. Why did someone who wanted to rule the country choose such a plain plant as their crest? One website says that many samurai clans during the age of warring states (1467-1615) chose plain plants as their crests to show that they were strong and hardy enough to survive in such harsh circumstances as these plants were. 

2026/5/15

2026/5/15

Various Lacecap Hydrangeas (Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis) 額紫陽花いろいろ

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It's almost impossible to classify lacecap hydrangeas based on color. Each one has cream, blue, purple, green, pink, and red fertile flowers surrounded by 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."

2020/6/3

2026/5/15

Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum Carolinense) ワルナスビ（悪茄子）

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Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) is, as you can guess from its name, native to North America but can be found across Japan. The plant produces white and pale purple flowers from June to October and fruits from July to October in Japan. 

The Carolina horsenettle's Japanese name is "waru nasubi," which translates into "rogue eggplant," and this is justifiable. The plant is poisonous in its entirety with thorns that would prick you if you try to remove it. So, although it's in the same family as the eggplant (i.e., Solanaceae), nobody would disagree the Carolina horsenettle is ROGUE as you can see in its other English names "radical weed," "apple of Sodom," and "devil's tomato." 

Despite such a bad perception, however, Carolina horsenettle flowers are beautiful and its fruits are pretty, which look like kumquats (scroll down) although again they're toxic. We shouldn't be fooled by appearances.

2025/6/20

Bottlebrush (Callistemon) ブラシノキ（金宝樹）

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Names and natures often agree and so do bottlebrush (Callistemon) trees. Bottlebrush (Callistemon) is native to Australia but can be found across Japan. Bottlebrush is known in Japan as "burashi no ki," which translates into "brush tree" (easy to understand), but also "kinpouju," which translates into "golden treasure tree," due to their anthers, which turn golden as they fill with pollen. 

I still remember when I saw them for the first time. I was so surprised that I climbed a wall surrounding the tree to take their close-up photos without realizing how dangerous it could be. So reckless, but I couldn't resist. Luckily, I wasn't hurt!

Some flowers in the post are pink, called Callistemon 'Pink Champagne.'

2026/5/14 Pink champagne 

2026/5/14

Hydrangea Serrata Var. 'Kurenai' 紅山紫陽花（クレナイヤマアジサイ）

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Kurenai hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai') is a type of mountain hydrangeas. It starts to flower in early May and at that time its sepals (not petals!) are white and then turn red as suggested by the name kurenai, which means red. Because of such a color change, I often assume a kurenai hydrangea as a white hydrangea at first and realize it's a kurenai one after it turns red a week or two later. 

2025/5/25

Pink/Purple Mountain Hydrangea ピンク・紫のヤマアジサイ（山紫陽花）

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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!  

2026/5/14

2026/5/14

Hamilton's Spindletree (Euonymus Hamiltonianus) マユミ（檀）

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Some plants bring you happiness through the year and Hamilton's spindletree (Euonymus hamiltonianus) is one of them. The plant is native to East Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces tiny cream flowers from May to June and fruits in autumn. The fruits are four-lobed and green at the beginning, then turn pale pink, and crack to show seeds with red arils in autumn.

A good thing about photographing plants is to make people more talkative. When I was photographing the fruits in September, two women approached me asking what they were. I said they were the fruits of Hamilton's spindletree but the women insisted they couldn't be fruits but buds to flower soon. It was fun talking with strangers about little things.

2026/4/24

2025/5/9

Hydrangea Serrata Var. Yesoensis F. Cuspidata Cv. 四季咲き姫紫陽花（シキザキヒメアジサイ）

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These are Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv., a type of mountain hydrangeas. Their Japanese name is "shikizaki hime ajisai," which translates into "hydrangea blooming all year round." As the name suggests, the hydrangeas bloom for a longer period, i.e., the six months from June to December (not throughout the year though). Their another feature is that the blooms change color at different pace one by one, resulting in various shades of pink, blue and purple. Below are the shots of various hydrangeas. Hope you enjoy them, too!

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)

2023/5/28

2023/5/28

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica) スイカズラ（吸蔓、忍冬）

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Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is native to eastern Asia and can be found across Japan. The plant produces flowers from May to June although I once them flowering in October (scroll down.) One of its Japanese names is "kingin ka," which translates into "golden and silver flower," because its flowers are white at first and turn yellow.

2026/5/12

2026/5/12

Double Flowered Fish Mint 八重咲きのドクダミ

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Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are. 

Fish mints are used in Chinese medicine and in Japan, fish mint tea is said to be effective for skin problems. I suffered from severe acne in my teenage years so my late maternal granny sometimes sent me fish mint tea bags. I don't know if they were effective but I believe that thanks to the tea, I have no acne or any serious skin problems now. 

2026/5/12

2026/5/12

Maple Samara 楓（カエデ）の翼果

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Maple trees are known for autumn leaves but reddish and green (and translucent) samaras surrounded by fresh green leaves are so beautiful. Maple samaras always remind me of Doraemon bamboo copter.  

2026/5/12

2026/4/22