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

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I first thought it was Nuttallanthus canadensis or blue toadflax, but it's not that tall. Then, Cymbalaria Muralis (Kenilworth Ivy) came to my mind, but again its flower shape is different. At home I found that this was Mazus pumilus, commonly called Japanese mazus. You can see how small Japanese mazus by comparing it with Trigonotis peduncularis (1st photo) and a closed creeping woodsorrel flower (2nd photo)!

Mazus pumilus and Trigonotis peduncularis 常磐爆とキュウリグサ

Mazus pumilus and woodsorrel 常磐爆と酢漿草の蕾

Sleeping Beauty "Stink Bug"? 眠れる森のカメムシ？

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I take a walk every morning and check several places where hydrangeas are growing. And I noticed something on a lacecap hydrangea. Do you see it? A dark brown bug on it! It must have been sleeping like a log. It didn't move an inch. If you're interested in lacecap hydrangeas changing from green to blue then to pink, see this post! 

Lacecap hydrangea ガクアジサイ

Stink bug on a lacecap hydrangea ガクアジサイの上のカメムシ？

Pale Red Lacecap Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis) 薄赤の額紫陽花（ガクジアジサイ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The rainy season will start soon in Japan, and that means the hydrangea season will, too. This is macrophylla f. normalis or lacecap hydrangea, which changes from green (scroll down to see the 3rd photo!) to pale RED. I love this color change as well as another bloom's change from green-to-blue-then-to-pink! 

5/26 Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis 額紫陽花

Ilex Pedunculosa (Longstalk Holly) 戦（ソヨゴ）

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I sometimes write about horseflies but it doesn't mean I like them. Rather I don't. I write about horseflies because some look like wasps, being orange and black, and beautiful. So, I don't like usual flies like this, either, which aren't colorful at all. But this one landed on a tiny flower of Ilex pedunculosa or more commonly longstalk holly just in front of me. Who would pass up on such an opportunity!?

Ilex pedunculosa 戦

Lacecap Hydrangea Changing from Green to Blue then to Pink 緑から青そしてピンクに変わる額紫陽花

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The rainy season will soon start in Tokyo, and that means the hydrangea season will too. And this is one of its cultivars, i.e., hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis or lacecap hydrangea, one of my favorites!

You may think you are looking at hydrangeas on shrubs producing different colored flowers, i.e., pink, blue and green (scroll down!), but you're not. These are all on the same shrub, changing color from green to blue then to pink.   

The color of hydrangeas depends on the pH level of the soil with higher acidity levels resulting in blue flowers and alkaline soil producing pink flowers, but I don't understand why hydrangeas change color like this. The pH level for the blooms (and the shrub) should be the same when the flower is green, blue or pink... But it's okay! I've decided to focus on enjoying their incredibly beautiful colors!

What look like petals are actually sepals and the tiny round things surrounded by the sepals are florets (i.e., flowers). 

Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis after color change ピンクに変わった額紫陽花

Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) 吸い葛（スイカズラ）

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This is Lonicera japonica, known as Japanese honeysuckle. Its name in Japanese is "suikazura," also meaning (honey) suckle vine, which is an unusual case of the English name coinciding with its Japanese name. The honey (i.e., nectar) of the plant must be so sweet, mustn't it?  

The plant changes its flower color from white to cream as Weigela coraeensis does (which changes from white to pink, then to deep purple). Flowers change color for various reasons, such as successful pollination. But according to a Japanese website, Japanese honeysuckle changes its flower color for no reason but as time passes, i.e., the flowers open in the evening, changing to cream the next day and then to yellow the day after.

Lonicera japonica 吸い葛

Deutzia Crenata (Bridal Wreath) 空木（ウツギ）

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This is Deutzia crenata. You may not believe this but it's in the hydrangea family. Bridal wreath is called "utsugi" in Japanese, meaning "hollow tree" because its stems are hollow.

Deutzia crenata 空木

Kalmia Latifolia (Mountain Laurel) 亜米利加石楠花（アメリカシャクナゲ、カルミア）

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This is Kalmia latifolia, commonly called mountain laurel. The flowers look like parasols while the buds like konpeito, i.e., tiny star-shaped Japanese sugar candies (2nd photo), which are Pokémon Nebby's favorite food😜!

Konpeito was imported from Portugal to Japan in the 16th century together with the name "confeito" in Portuguese, meaning sugar candy. If you haven't seen the candy, click here. See? The buds of mountain laurel look exactly like konpeito, don't they?

And this is what I wrote about this plant last year but at that time I didn't know that despite such pretty color and shape, all the parts of Kalmia were poisonous especially for sheep as suggested by its another common names "lamb-kill," "calf-kill," "kill-kid," and "sheep-poison"😱

Mountain laurel アメリカシャクナゲ（カルミア）

Kalmia latifolia 亜米利加石楠花（カルミア）

Pink Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) ピンクの山法師

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This is Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood or Japanese dogwood. I've seen cream white Cornus kousa, but had never seen a pink one.

Cornus kousa and Cornus florida look like each other, but the shape of the bracts is different. Cornus kousa's bracts are pointed whereas Cornus florida's are round. Another big difference is that the fruits of Cornus kousa are edible while those of Cornus florida are poisonous.

This Cornus kousa tree is pretty tall, so I was able to take these photos from under the tree. The flowers (or strictly speaking the bracts!) were so translucent (2nd photo), which made me feel alone but happy...

Cornus kousa ヤマボウシ

From under the tree 木の下から

Saxifraga Stolonifera (Strawberry Geranium) 雪の下（ユキノシタ）

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This is Saxifraga stolonifera or more commonly known as strawberry geranium. The shape of the flowers is so pretty that I always stop to see them closely.

The flower shape must have made people think of many things and come up with names after these things such as "Aaron's beard" and 鴨足草 (a Japanese name meaning "duck's feet"), but to me, the flowers just look like persons floating in the air, extending their arms and legs. By the way, in China, not the flower but its round leaves reminded people of "tiger's ears," which has become the plant's name.  

Its most common Japanese name is "雪の下," meaning "under snow" because the plant grows green leaves even under snow.

Saxifraga stolonifera 雪の下

Strawberry geranium ユキノシタ

Houttuynia Cordata (Fish Mint) ドクダミ

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This is Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, and a horsefly that had just landed on a leaf. The contrast between the green yellow spike, the white bracts surrounding it, and the deep green leaves (whose edge is red) is so beautiful!! Fish mint is another example of plants that are beautiful in not only color but also shape (but not in smell...).  

A horsefly has just landed on fish mint leaf ドクダミの葉に着地したアブ

Houttuynia Cordata ドクダミ

Weigela Coraeensis 箱根空木（ハコネウツギ）

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This is Weigela coraeensis, my favorite Weigela because of its changing color from white, pink, to ultimately deep purple, and that's why the flower means capriciousness (in Japan). You can see how capricious the flower is by looking at the first and second photos! 

The weigela attracts many bugs, e.g., ants, ladybugs and Asian ladybeetle chrysalises (3rd and 4th photos). Ladybug chrysalises look like the adults to repel predators because adult ladybeetles eject toxic blood when attacked.

Weigela coraeensis changes color 箱根空木の色は変わる

Weigela coraeensis means "capriciousness" in Japan
ハコネウツギの花言葉は「移り気」

Briza Minor (Little Quaking Grass) 姫小判草（ヒメコバンソウ）

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This is Briza minor or more commonly little quaking-grass. Its name contains "little" due to the comparison with Briza maxima or greater quaking-grass. The plant is so little as you can see in the first photo in which lesser trefoil is behind it. Lesser foil is the size of a grain of rice as suggested by its Japanese name "kometsubu tsumekusa," meaning "clover the size of a grain of rice." 

Little quaking grass has a pretty Japanese name "hime koban sou," meaning "princess quaking-grass."

Briza minor 姫小判草

Little quaking grass ヒメコバンソウ

Briza Maxima (Greater Quaking-Grass) 小判草（コバンソウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Briza maxima or more commonly greater quaking-grass. When I first saw it, I thought they were some kind of bugs. 

Greater quaking-grass is "koban so" in Japanese, meaning "old Japanese gold coin plant." To me, however, it rather looks like Japanese waraji straw sandals. As its name suggests, the plant has a smaller one. 

Briza maxima 小判草

Greater quaking-grass コバンソウ

Ligustrum Sinense (Chinese Privet) シルバープリベット

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Have you ever seen a flower of Ligustrum sinense or more commonly Chinese privet that closely? I didn't and this photo made me realize how beautiful the flowers are!! 

I love tiny plants, but I always have a hard time taking clear shots of them when it's windy. I've been wondering if it's time to go through the manual of my compact digital camera or buy a single lens camera (i.e., giving up on growing my photography skills😅).

Chinese Privet シルバープリベット

Solanum Nigrum (Black Nightshade) 犬酸漿（イヌホオズキ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Solanum nigrum or more commonly black nightshade. Small white flowers with a bright yellow center are pretty and look innocent, but the plant, especially the unripe berries, is poisonous.

The black nightshade is "baka nasu" in Japanese, meaning "stupid eggplant" because it looks like Solanum melongena (i.e., eggplant) but is worthless, i.e., inedible.

Solanum nigrum 犬酸漿

Black nightshade イヌホオズキ

A Longhorn Beetle on Pyracantha ピラカンサとカミキリムシ

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Two weeks ago, I found a longhorn beetle on the buds of some plant (2nd photo). I first thought that the plant was Reeve's spiraea but it's not. The shape leaf is different. So, I decided to wait for the buds to flower. And I've found the answer. The plant is Pyracantha or firethorn! I wrote about its bright red berries last winter!! It's like finding two of your friends you met separately turning out to be a couple....

Pyracantha 常盤山査子

5/1 A longhorn beetle on firethorn buds カミキリムシとピラカンサの蕾

Firethorn ピラカンサ

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2週間ほど前に何かの蕾の上でカミキリムシが休んでいるのを発見（2枚目）。コデマリかと思ったのですが葉の形が違います｡｡｡ ということで花が咲くまで待つことにしました。そして分かりました。常盤山査子（ピラカンサ）でした。去年の冬、真っ赤な実について書いたのに全く分からず｡｡｡ 別々に知り合った長年の友人が実はカップルだった！みたいな感じでした。

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Styrax Japonicus 'Pink Chimes' (Pink Japanese Snowbell) 紅花エゴノキ（ピンクチャイム）

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A few days ago, I wrote a post about Styrax japonicus or more commonly Japanese snowbell. They were snow white like its name says, so beautiful. Then a few days later, I found a Japanese snowbell tree with pink blossoms. I looked around to see if there were any other pink Japanese snowbell trees, but couldn't find one.   

Styrax japonicus 'Pink Chimes' 紅花エゴノキ

Pink Japanese snowbell エゴノキ（ピンクチャイム）

Pink Weigela 空木（ウツギ）

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This is Weigela. The bright pink flowers are so pretty. But don't forget that it not only entertains people with such beautiful flowers but also provides bugs with comfortable places to rest (2nd and 3rd photos).

Pink weigela 空木

The leaves are beautiful, too 葉もきれい！

Japanese Snowbell Blossoms エゴノキが満開

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I've used the terms "blossoms" and "full bloom" for cherry trees, but not for other plants. But these terms also fit Styrax japonicus or more commonly Japanese snowbell, don't they? I was lucky. The day after I took these photos, most of the blossoms were gone due to strong winds.  

 

Japanese snowbell エゴノキ

Styrax japonicus エゴノキ

Styrax japonicus エゴノキ

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「満開」という言葉は桜に使うものだと思っていましたが、エゴノキにもぴったりですね。ただ、この写真を撮った翌日には強風であらかた散ってしまいました。

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Calystegia Pubescens (Japanese Bindweed) 昼顔（ヒルガオ）

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This is Calystegia pubescens or more commonly known as Japanese bindweed. Like Philadelphia fleabane, Japanese bindweed is everywhere in my neighborhood now, so I ignored the plant until I found again a horsefly but this time absorbed in eating pollen on a flower (2nd picture). 

Japanese bindweed is called "Hirugao" in Japanese, meaning "Belle de jour," and in Japan, "Belle de Jour" is known as the title of a TV drama based on the plot of the novel of the same title by Joseph Kessel (or the film of the same title by Luis Buñuel).      

Calystegia pubescens 昼顔

Absorbed in eating breakfast on Japanese bindweed flowerhead 食事中です

Triodanis Perfoliata (Clasping Venus' Looking-Glass) 桔梗草（キキョウソウ）

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This is Triodanis perfoliata or more commonly clasping Venus' looking-glass. The plant was on a roadside but I couldn't find it in any other places in my neighborhood. 

Triodanis perfoliata 桔梗草

Clasping Venus' looking-glass キキョウソウ

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桔梗草（キキョウソウ）です。道端に咲いていたのですが、そこ以外には見つけることができませんでした。

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Horsefly on Philadelphia Fleabane アブとハルジオン

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This is Erigeron philadelphicus or more commonly Philadelphia fleabane with a horsefly. The plant is seen in so many places these days that I was bored with it before writing a post about it, but a horsefly on it is another story. I couldn't help but photograph the color contrast between the horsefly and the fleabane. 

Horsefly on Philadelphia fleabane アブとハルジオン

The horsefly was hovering ホバリング中

Geranium Robertianum (Herb Robert) 姫風露（ヒメフウロ）

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They're Geranium robertianum or more commonly known as herb Robert. The plant's so tiny and pretty, isn't it?

Things have names not necessarily after their appearance, however. Herb Robert is thought to have been named from an ancient association with Robin Goodfellow or Puck, the evil fairy that could bring death to a household. And this may explain its another name "Death come quickly." (Source: The Woodland Trust and Harringay Online) It's said that if the plant is picked and taken into the home, a death will soon follow. I'll never pick it...

Geranium robertianum 姫風露

Herb Robert ヒメフウロ

Cornus Kousa (Japanese Dogwood) 山法師（ヤマボウシ）

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This is Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood or Japanese dogwood. As Cornus florida, what look like petals are actually bracts. (A cluster of the tiny green flowers is surrounded by the bracts.) The two types of dogwood look like each other, but the shape of the bracts is different. Cornus kousa's bracts are pointed whereas Cornus florida's are round. Another big difference is that the fruits of Cornus kousa are edible while those of Cornus florida are poisonous.  

 

Cornus kousa 山法師

Japanese dogwood ヤマボウシ