Plants and Flowers in Tokyo & Japanese Culture by Kei Narujima　東京の草花＆つぶやき

Baby Blue Eye (Nemophila Menziesii)　ネモフィラ（瑠璃唐草）

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Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii) are native to North America but now grown across Japan. Their Japanese name is "ruri karakusa," which translates to "lapis lazuli arabesque."

More than a dozen gardens in Japan have grown baby blue eyes, attracting many tourists. One of them is the Hitachi Sunrise Park in Ibaraki prefecture, which has grown the plant since 2002 and its more than 5 million baby blue eyes went viral from 2015 to 2018. The park attracted 800,000 people in April and May, the baby blue eyes season, in 2025 with an admission fee of about 3 dollars per person! You can't underestimate social media's power, can you?

The baby blue eye in the first and second photos is growing wild. Maybe some baby blue eyes are exhausted from too much attention, wanting to be alone.

2026/3/31

Malus Halliana (Hall Crabapple)　花海棠（ハナカイドウ）

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Hall crabapple (Malus halliana) is native to China and came to Japan in the 14th century, but can now be found across the country. The tree produces flowers in April and then fruits of 1 cm in diameter, which look like small apples. The fruits ripen in October. As hall crabapples flower in April, at almost the same time as cherry trees do, they're often disregarded but their color change is worthwhile observing. The buds are deeper pink like Taiwan cherry blossoms but when open become paler pink but brighter than Somei Yoshino or Oshima cherry blossoms.

2026/4/3

Chinese Violet Cress (Orychophragmus Violaceus)　オオアラセイトウ（大紫羅欄花）

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Chinese violet cress (Orychophragmus violaceus), which is native to China, was imported to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867) and has been growing in the wild across the country since then. Those in the photos taken in 2026 are wildflowers in my neighborhood. The plant flowers from March to May, showing a beautiful contrast between the purple petals and the yellow anthers.

2026/3/31

Common Blue Violet (Viola Sororia)　アメリカスミレサイシン（亜米利加菫細辛）

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Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is native to eastern North America. It was imported to Japan in or after the Meiji period (1868-1912) and can now be found across the country. Despite such beauty (especially purple veins!), the violet is often treated as weeds in Japan. Those in these photos should be, too. They're just growing on sidewalks, seeming to enjoy themselves unattended.

2026/3/28

List of Cherry Blossoms　桜いろいろ

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Below are the cherry blossoms I've ever seen. Hope you'll enjoy them!

Japanese Mazus (Mazus Pumilus)　トキワハゼ（常磐爆）

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So cute and so hardy! Japanese mazus (Mazus pumilus) is native to east and south east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing flowers from early spring to late autumn. Despite such cute appearance and tininess, the plant's seed pods burst🤯 open, which is why the plant is called tokiwa haze in Japanese, translating to "evergreen burst." I want to see the bursts someday.

2026/3/28

Winter Cherry (Cerasus x Parvifolia/Cerasus Subhirtella)　フユザクラ（冬桜）

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The winter cherry (Cerasus x parvifolia 'Fuyu-zakura') is a crossbreed of Cerasus incisa and Cerasus speciosa. The cherry differs from other cherry trees in its time of blossoming. The winter cherry blossoms twice a year, in early April and in winter (from October to December), because of which the cherry tree is called "winter cherry" in Japan.

It has another name "koba zakura," which translates into "small leaf cherry" for its relatively smaller leaves. The winter cherry blossoms are less gorgeous but stay longer than other cherry blossoms, which generally fall in two weeks.

Some say when passing by a winter cherry tree that it's silly, blooming out of season but at such times I always say in my mind "It's you who are silly😝."

2021/11/25

2026/3/31

2022/12/9

Japanese Red Maple (Acer Pycnanthum)　ハナノキ（花之木）

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Japanese red maple trees are native to Japan. Their Japanese name is "hananoki," translating to "flower tree," which is too general, isn't it? The tree is named as such, however, after its deep red flowers standing out because they're produced before green leaves in early spring when no other flowers are seen. This makes sense. I first found the flowers because the red color stood out in early March.

2026/3/29

Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus Canadensis)　松葉雲蘭（マツバウンラン）

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Blue toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis) is native to North America but can now be found across Japan, producing flowers from April to June. The environment has a lot to do with the growth of plants. Blue toadflax growing in full sun are much taller with "chubbier" flowers than those in less sun. My perception of blue toadflax has completely changed from "fragile" to "(unexpectedly) tough" since I saw the chubby ones.

2026/3/28

2025/4/11

Edohigan Cherry (Prunus Itosakura)　エドヒガン（江戸彼岸）

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Edohigan cherry (Prunus itosakura) is one of the ten or eleven wild species of cherry trees native to Japan. "Edohigan" translates into "Tokyo higan," named after having being seen in many places around Tokyo, which had been called Edo before 1868 when renamed as Tokyo, and its characteristic of starting to flower in around the spring higan period, i.e., three days before and after the spring equinox (shunbun). Despite such a name, however, the cherry can now be found across Japan. Edohigan cherry trees can live for hundreds or even a thousand years, much longer than other cherry trees, whose lifespan is usually 60 to 100 years. Edohigan is a parent of Somei Yoshino but not only that. It's a parent of weeping cherry, too.

2026/3/29

Japanese Maple Flower Buds　カエデ（楓）の蕾

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There are more than 130 types of maple trees, most of which are native to East Asia. Maple trees are known for their beautiful autumn leaves but they produce flowers from April to May, which are tiny and lovely, creating such a beautiful red and green contrast. After the flower season, they then produce samaras, which look like two bladed propellers. Maple always reminds me of maple syrup candies made by Laura in Little House in the Big Woods. Her way of making them, i.e., dribbling the syrup onto the snow, intrigued me.

2026/3/29