英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2026/6/13 |
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| 2026/6/13 |
Hydrangea 'Magical Revolution' マジカルレボリューション
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2026/5/29 |
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens) 突抜忍冬（ツキヌキニンドウ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2025/4/29 |
Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus Orientalis) コノテガシワ（児の手柏）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2026/6/11 |
Lily (Lilium) ユリ（百合）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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.
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| 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
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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| 2026/6/10 |
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| 2026/6/10 |
Chinese Spiranthes (Spiranthes Sinensis) ネジバナ（捩花）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2026/6/10 |
Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans) アメリカノウゼンカズラ
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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 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.
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| 2026/6/5 |
Persian Silk Tree (Albizia Julibrissin) ネムノキ（合歓木）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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.
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| 2023/9/9 |
African Iris (Dietes Bicolor) ディエテス・ビコロル/オキナワシャガ
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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.
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| 2026/6/4 |
Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea Arborescens 'Annabelle') アナベル
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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!
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!
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Apple Mint (Mentha Suaveolens) アップルミント
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 A weevil was resting on, and a bee was gathering pollen from, flowers of apple mints in my neighborhood. They're growing ...
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