These're forget-me-nots (Myosotis). They're tiny but their color contrast between the blue purple petals and the yellow centers against the green leaves after the rain was so beautiful.
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| Forget-me-not 勿忘草 |
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| Myosotis ワスレナグサ |
Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis) 勿忘草（ワスレナグサ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Red Camellia 真っ赤な落椿
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
People across Japan are excited about the start of the cherry blossom season, but they are missing something as beautiful as cherry blossoms. Camellia trees are now in full bloom, so the flower heads in my neighborhood are scattered on the ground as shown in the second photo!!
People across Japan are excited about the start of the cherry blossom season, but they are missing something as beautiful as cherry blossoms. Camellia trees are now in full bloom, so the flower heads in my neighborhood are scattered on the ground as shown in the second photo!!
Japanese camellia look like sasanqua and experts provide several ways to distinguish these two camellia flowers, i.e., the size of trees and the timing of flowering, but the most interesting difference is how they fall or die. When Japanese camellia flowers die, the flower heads fall off in their entirety and this way of dying was associated with beheaded human heads in the Edo (samurai) period. Naturally, despite their beauty, camellia flowers were unpopular among samurai. Unlike Japanese camellia, sasanqua flowers die with petals falling off one by one.
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| Red camellia is in full bloom 椿が満開 |
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| Camellia flower heads reminded samurai of beheaded human heads これが首を連想させたそうです |
Cherry Laurel (Prunus Laurocerasus) 紅葉李（ベニバスモモ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're cherry laurel blossoms (Prunus laurocerasus). They are cherry blossoms, but not counted as such in Japan. The western countries consider all the plants in the Prunus genus as cherry while Asian countries including Japan consider only those in the Cerasus subgenus (i.e., a subgenus of Prunus) cherry.
They're cherry laurel blossoms (Prunus laurocerasus). They are cherry blossoms, but not counted as such in Japan. The western countries consider all the plants in the Prunus genus as cherry while Asian countries including Japan consider only those in the Cerasus subgenus (i.e., a subgenus of Prunus) cherry.
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| Cherry laurel 紅葉李 |
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| Prunus laurocerasus ベニバスモモ |
Forsythia 連翹（レンギョウ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Forsythia has started to flower. Many plants produce yellow flowers but forsythia's yellow is brighter than that of wintersweet or winter hazel.
Forsythia has started to flower. Many plants produce yellow flowers but forsythia's yellow is brighter than that of wintersweet or winter hazel.
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| Forsythia 連翹 |
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| Forsythia レンギョウ |
Eurya Japonica (East Asian Eurya) 姫榊（ヒサカキ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are buds of Eurya japonica, known as East Asian eurya. I've not found new plants in my neighborhood these days because I've taken an early morning walk every day for over three years since Covid-19 started and learned the location of almost every plant. So, it was nice to find East Asian eurya and look it up on the internet!
East Asian eurya is in the Pentaphylacaceae family as Japanese Ternstroemia is, my another favorite plant.
These are buds of Eurya japonica, known as East Asian eurya. I've not found new plants in my neighborhood these days because I've taken an early morning walk every day for over three years since Covid-19 started and learned the location of almost every plant. So, it was nice to find East Asian eurya and look it up on the internet!
East Asian eurya is in the Pentaphylacaceae family as Japanese Ternstroemia is, my another favorite plant.
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| Eurya japonica 姫榊 |
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| East Asian eurya ヒサカキ |
White & Pink Thunberg's Meadowsweet 雪柳＆桃色雪柳
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're Spiraea thunbergii or more commonly Thunberg spiraea or Thunberg's meadowsweet. The plant is called in Japan "snow willow" after its snow white flowers and flexible stems like willow. But you know what? There is another cultivar producing pinkish white flowers (i.e., Spiraea thunbergii 'Fujino Pinky')!
They're Spiraea thunbergii or more commonly Thunberg spiraea or Thunberg's meadowsweet. The plant is called in Japan "snow willow" after its snow white flowers and flexible stems like willow. But you know what? There is another cultivar producing pinkish white flowers (i.e., Spiraea thunbergii 'Fujino Pinky')!
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| Spiraea thunbergii 雪柳 |
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| Spiraea thunbergii 'Fujino Pinky' 桃色雪柳 |
Dwarf Lilyturf (Ophiopogon Japonicus) 蛇の髭（ジャノヒゲ）
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are fruits of dwarf lilyturf (Ophiopogon japonicus). Round red fruits, such as coral ardisia, are seen in many places, but blue fruits are not that common, aren't they?
These are fruits of dwarf lilyturf (Ophiopogon japonicus). Round red fruits, such as coral ardisia, are seen in many places, but blue fruits are not that common, aren't they?
In Japan, dwarf lilyturf is called "snake's beard" or "dragon's beard" after its thin beard-like leaves.
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| Dwarf lilyturf 蛇の髭 |
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| Ophiopogon japonicus ジャノヒゲ |
Red Japanese Camellia (Camellia Japonica) 赤い椿
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica). Several camellia trees grow in my neighborhood but this one produces much bigger flowers than the others and I know why. This tree is in the garden of an apartment complex and the owner must have grown it very carefully.
These are Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica). Several camellia trees grow in my neighborhood but this one produces much bigger flowers than the others and I know why. This tree is in the garden of an apartment complex and the owner must have grown it very carefully.
They're so beautiful, but sadly the complex will be demolished soon for urban redevelopment.
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| Japanese camellia 椿 |