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

Various Lacecap Hydrangeas 額紫陽花（ガクアジサイ）いろいろ

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It's almost impossible to classify lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis) based on color. Each one has cream, yellow, blue, purple, green, pink, and red fertile flowers surrounded by green, 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." To see lacecap hydrangeas in pink or purple, read this post! 

2026/6/10

2026/6/10

Chinese Spiranthes (Spiranthes Sinensis) ネジバナ（捩花）

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The Chinese spiranthes (Spiranthes sinensis) is native to Eurasia and Australia and can be found across Japan, producing pink flowers from May to August. As a plant found across Japan, the Chinese spiranthes is used as kigo, i.e., a word or phrase associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry, for mid-summer, the period from June 6 to July 6. Interestingly, some spiral clockwise while others counter clockwise. There is no established theory to explain what determines the direction of the spiral.

2026/6/10

Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans) アメリカノウゼンカズラ

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The trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is native to eastern North America, imported to Japan during the Taisho period (1912-1926) for ornamental purposes. Its Japanese name is "amerika nozen kazura," which translates into "American trumpet vine," because Japan has two trumpet vines, the American trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) and the Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora). Both resemble each other but the American one (Campsis radicans) has longer and thinner flower tubes than the Chinese counterpart. 

The phrase "nouzen kazura," which is contained in the Japanese name of both trumpet vines, means "vine blooming towards the sky." The bright orange flowers literally bloom towards the sky. 

2026/6/5

Persian Silk Tree (Albizia Julibrissin) ネムノキ（合歓木）

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These are flowers of a Persian silk tree or pink silk tree (Albizia julibrissin). Persian silk trees fold their leaves during the night, which makes them look asleep, so they're called in Japanese "nemu no ki," which translates to "sleeping tree."  

A Persian silk tree is popular in Japan as suggested that it's a kigo* for summer. It's also often used as a theme for paintings, such as the one in the last photo "Sparrow in a silk tree" by Keibun Matsumura at Tokyo National Museum.

* Kigo are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.

2023/9/9

African Iris (Dietes Bicolor) ディエテス・ビコロル/オキナワシャガ

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It looks like smiling to you, doesn't it? This is an African iris (Dietes bicolor). When seeing it for the first time, I didn't use Google Lens yet, so I did research using several keywords in Japanese, such as "flower," "white," and "look like a smiling face," which generated only one hit, "African iris." African irises are native to, and very common in, South Africa while in Japan, not the flowers but the sword like leaves are used for Japanese flower arrangement. 

2026/6/4

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

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Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') is a cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens. The hydrangea is a late bloomer, producing flowers from May to July, which are lime green at first, turning 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

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

2026/6/2

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ザクロ（柘榴）

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The pomegranate (Punica granatum) originated in the region spanning from the west to south Asia to the Middle East. It produces bright orange flowers in June and fruits that contain ruby-like edible seeds and pulp from September to October in Japan. 

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

Double "Sepaled" Lacecap Hydrangeas 八重額紫陽花（ヤエガクアジサイ）

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Double-sepaled lacecap hydrangeas are different from usual (single-petaled) ones. They're more gorgeous. If you love hydrangeas, read the posts below! 

Red mophead hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' (Annabelle hydrangea)

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)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/5/26

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

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I always felt something was wrong when passing by them and I get it today. They're apple mint growing on the sidewalk. Did someone plant them there? Or did they come from somewhere and are they now growing wild? I've just started to grow lemon balm and chocolate mint myself, so I couldn't imagine herbs growing wildly. But I was wrong. The apple mint was so invasive that many websites advise against planting in the ground.  

2026/6/5