英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Plants and Flowers in Central Tokyo & Japanese Culture by Kei Narujima 東京の草花&つぶやき - なるじまけい
Hi! I'm Kei Narujima. This is a blog about flowers, plants, and bugs I saw in CENTRAL Tokyo, and sometimes art and Japanese culture that bring you a smile or make you think (or so I hope)!! こんにちは。花や虫、そして時々日本の文化などについて書いてます😊。税務英語については https://zeimueigo.blogspot.com/ をご覧ください。
Various Lacecap Hydrangeas 額紫陽花(ガクアジサイ)いろいろ
Love-In-A-Mist (Nigella Damascena) ニゲラ(黒種草)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is native to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southwestern Asia. The plant produces blue, pink (scroll down), purple, white (scroll down), and yellow flowers from April to July, which are distinguished from other flowers by their many long stamens. What appear to be petals are actually sepals as in the case of hydrangeas.
Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is native to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southwestern Asia. The plant produces blue, pink (scroll down), purple, white (scroll down), and yellow flowers from April to July, which are distinguished from other flowers by their many long stamens. What appear to be petals are actually sepals as in the case of hydrangeas.
The plant is also called "devil-in-a-bush" and some may wonder why it can be "devil-in-a-bush" and "love-in-a-mist" at the same time. The Hutchinson News (the relevant article is gone) gave me an answer. "The plant, when green and flowering, is called love-in-a-mist, but when the horned seed pods dry in the autumn, it changes, like Jekyll and Hyde, to the name of devil-in-the-bush."
This is also true of Carolina cranesbill, which also has good and evil within them. If you wanna see an angel and a devil within Carolina cranesbill or its Jekyll-to-Hyde change, read this!!
Pink/Purple Lacecap Hydrangea ピンク・紫のガクアジサイ(額紫陽花)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
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! To see lacecap hydrangeas in other colors, read this post!
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! To see lacecap hydrangeas in other colors, read this post!
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!
Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) ウズアジサイ(渦紫陽花)
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They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.
They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.
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.
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 |
| 2025/6/8 |
Chinese St. John's Wort (Hypericum Monogynum) ビヨウヤナギ(未央柳)
MINI Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ミニザクロ(ミニ柘榴)
Smiling Monkey Forest Tree (Magnolia Maudiae) ミヤマガンショウ(深山含笑)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Smiling monkey forest trees (Magnolia maudiae) are native to China but can be found in some places in Tokyo (although not as often as you would find Yulan magnolias). The smiling monkey forest tree produces white flowers from February to March in Tokyo.
I did research about why the magnolia is called "smiling monkey forest tree" but couldn't find any good origin of the name. Interestingly, its Japanese name translates into "smiling flowers in deep mountains." Maybe everyone seeing the flower is reminded of someone's or monkeys' smiling face.
Smiling monkey forest trees (Magnolia maudiae) are native to China but can be found in some places in Tokyo (although not as often as you would find Yulan magnolias). The smiling monkey forest tree produces white flowers from February to March in Tokyo.
| 2026/2/28 |
| 2026/2/28 |
Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎(マテバシイ)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are the nuts of lithocarpus edulis or more commonly the Japanese stone oak. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website). I often picked the acorns when I was a child but I saw green acorns (2nd photo) for the first time.
In Japan, the nuts of fagaceae trees are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."
These are the nuts of lithocarpus edulis or more commonly the Japanese stone oak. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website). I often picked the acorns when I was a child but I saw green acorns (2nd photo) for the first time.
In Japan, the nuts of fagaceae trees are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."
When these pale brown acorns turn dark brown, I hope the temperature and the number of Covid-19 patients will both become lower...
| 2026/5/17 |
Pink Wood Sorrel (Oxalis Articulata) イモカタバミ(芋酢漿草、芋片喰)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
There are two types of pink wood sorrel, Oxalis articulata (those in this post) and Oxalis debilis. Both are native to South America but can now be found across Japan.
There are two types of pink wood sorrel, Oxalis articulata (those in this post) and Oxalis debilis. Both are native to South America but can now be found across Japan.
The two are often confused but it's easy to tell which is which. Oxalis articulata is deeper pink and has a dark purple flower center and yellow anthers while Oxalis debilis is paler pink, having a pale yellowish green center and white anthers. Another big difference is in underground systems. Oxalis articulata has underground stems (i.e., rhizomes) like potatoes while Oxalis debilis grows from bulbils. This difference can be seen in Oxalis articulata's Japanese name "imo katabami," which translates into "potato wood sorrel," although poteto's underground stems are not rhizomes but tubers.
| 2026/5/18 |
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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。 It's almost impossible to classify lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis) based on color. Each one has ...
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