Bottlebrush (Callistemon) ブラシノキ（金宝樹）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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）

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!  

2026/5/14

2026/5/14

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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

Herbal Tea using Lemon Balm and Chocolate Mint Leaves レモンバームとチョコレートミントのハーブティー

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I have taken baby steps to grow herbs. I've made herbal tea using fresh leaves of lemon balm and chocolate mint, which the herbalist I've learned about herbs from, gave me. So far, I just brought back two pots home and put them on the balcony. I don't know if they can grow (survive) there but I learned that the leaves should be removed, so I picked leaves from the two herbs, put the fresh leaves in a teapot, poured hot water on them, and waited while looking at such a beautiful green color. The tea was just refreshing!

2026/5/11

Glaucous Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus Glaucescens) 王冠竜（おうかんりゅう）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a glaucous barrel cactus (Ferocactus glaucescens), just starting to bud. The cactus should open soon to produce pale yellow flowers. While writing this post, I realized that I didn't know about cacti almost at all, so I did research, finding one of the main differences between succulent plants (one of which is cacti) and other plants being is their specialized ability to store water in thick, fleshy leaves, stems, or roots, which made me think about how to identify, describe, classify, and name plants to create a structured hierarchy of plants. Wow, I feel dizzy😵.

2026/5/11

Mammillaria マミラリア

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a Mammillaria cactus, which is native to mainly Mexico. Its Japanese names include "nyuto saboten" and "ibo saboten," which translates into "nipple cactus" and "wart cactus" respectively. I hadn't known until I saw this cactus flowering that cacti produce such pretty flowers. 

2024/2/6