Bitter Gourds, Tomatoes and Friendship? ゴーヤとトマトと友情？

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

Today I got bitter gourds and tomatoes from the caretaker of a public garden in my neighborhood AGAIN, following the first time two weeks ago I got sponge and baby bitter gourds and the second time a week ago I got baby bitter gourds!! The sponge and bitter gourds were in the public garden but the tomatoes🍅 were grown by the caretaker in his house garden. Yes, he brought them to his workplace (i.e., the public garden) to give them to me. As last time, I'm a bit confused by his friendship😅 but happy😉!!

If you're interested in why he's given so many vegetables to me, who was a complete stranger until two weeks ago, read this post! 

Bitter gourds and tomatoes　ゴーヤとトマト

Chinese Trumpet Vine (Campsis Grandiflora) ノウゼンカズラ（凌霄花）

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

These are Chinese trumpet vine flowers (Campsis grandiflora). They usually produce flowers high up on a tree, so I can't take such close-up photos, but luckily these are not that high and the color is still deep bright orange before color fading due to strong sunlight!

The plant came to Japan from China during the Heian period (794 - 1185) and is a kigo, i.e., a word or phrase associated with a particular season used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry, such as haiku.

Campsis grandiflora　凌霄花

Chinese trumpet vine　ノウゼンカズラ

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum Trichotomum) 臭木（クサギ）

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

This is harlequin glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum). I love the plant, especially the blue fruit surrounded by red calyxes in autumn, which forms a beautiful stark color contrast. Unfortunately, this glorybower was once removed, so I almost gave up on seeing the plant again. But voila!! It's back!! I know how hard gardening is (especially weeding), but just thinking of seeing the harlequin glorybower fruit again makes me smile😊. I wanted to take close up photos, but they were too high.    

Harlequin glorybower　臭木

Clerodendrum trichotomum　クサギ

Large Morning Glory 大輪朝顔（アサガオ）

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

They're large, aren't they? The diameter is about 10 cm. These morning glories are tended by bicycle parking lot caretakers in my neighborhood. They're so beautiful that I said so to one of the caretakers, but he sadly said that they were producing fewer flowers than usual. Maybe that's because it's too hot. The heatwave across Japan shows no sign of abating🥵. 

Large morning glories　大輪朝顔（アサガオ）

Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) 百日紅（サルスベリ）

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

I don't usually write about the same plant twice a year, but this year, all the crepe myrtle trees in my neighborhood bloom in full so beautifully that I can't help but write about these red and white flowers side by side vertically😊!   

Crepe myrtle red and white flowers side by side vertically
赤と白の百日紅の花

Lagerstroemia indica　サルスベリ

Swamp Rose-Mallow (Hibiscus Moscheutos) アメリカ芙蓉（アメリカフヨウ）

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

These are swamp rose-mallows (Hibiscus moscheutos). I was very happy to see them because I didn't expect to see the flowers again in my neighborhood. 

I saw pink swamp rose-mallows until last year. The flowers were so big that they always made me smile, but the garden where they were growing was gone because of the redevelopment of the area. 

The flowers in these photos are a little smaller than those I saw until two years ago, but I'm very happy to see them again😊!   

White swamp rose-mallow　ピンクのアメリカ芙蓉 

Pink swamp rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)　アメリカフヨウ

Kadsura Vine (Kadsura Japonica) 実葛（サネカズラ）

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

These are flowers of the kadsura vine (Kadsura japonica). I saw the fruits last November at the Institute for Nature Study, i.e., a park or forest in the heart of Central Tokyo, but didn't expect to see the vine in my neighborhood on a guard fence.

Kadsura japonica　サネカズラ

Kadsura vine　実葛

Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia) 苦瓜（ゴーヤ）

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

I got sponge gourds and baby bitter gourds ten days ago by chance and I got baby bitter gourds again!! The gardener who'd given me these gourds said that he'd been waiting for me to come because he wanted to give me the gourds again. I was a bit confused😅 but am happy😉!! 

Bitter gourds　ゴーヤ

A Caterpillar's Moving アオムシのお引越し

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

I found this caterpillar🐛 after jump roping in a nearby park! Usually, I can't take clear photos of bugs, but it was walking (or running?), I was able to see and take clear pictures of its face (last photo). The caterpillar was moving toward a bush to maybe avoid the heat.

A caterpillar's moving　アオムシのお引越し

A Long-Legged Fly on Black Nightshade Leaf 犬酸漿とアシナガバエ

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

I photographed flowers and fruits of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and at home pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful bug on a flower in one of the pictures! The bug is a long-legged fly (Dolichopodidae). I didn't know such a beautiful fly🪰 exists!

A long-legged fly on black nightshade leaf　犬酸漿と足長蠅

Dendropanax Trifidus 隠れ蓑（カクレミノ）

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

I've seen fruits of dendropanax trifidus many times, but it was my first time to notice the presence of the flowers. Actually, I never imagined that the tree could produce such cute flowers!

Dendropanax trifidus produces male and hermaphrodite flowers and the fruit shaped part is an ovary. So, the flowers in these photos are likely hermaphrodite.   

Flowers of Dendropanax trifidus　隠れ蓑の花

Hermaphrodite flowers　両性花

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) 洋種山牛蒡（ヨウシュヤマゴボウ）

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

This is pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) and can you see something on one of the flowers? I didn't notice it at first because it was like part of the flower😆. I googled the bug but couldn't identify it. 

Pokeweed　洋種山牛蒡

Phytolacca americana　ヨウシュヤマゴボウ

Balloon Vine (Cardiospermum Halicacabum) 風船蔓（フウセンカズラ）

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

I thought this was Chinese lantern at first, but the balloon and flower shape is different. This is balloon vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum). The inflated fruit and small flowers (5 mm in diameter: 2nd photo) are so cute!! The young fruit is green. I wish I had noticed the balloon sooner. 

A fruit of balloon vine　風船蔓の実

Balloon vine flowers　フウセンカズラの花

Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum Carolinense) 悪茄子（ワルナスビ）

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

These are flowers of the Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), but the focus of this post is not the flowers but the thorns (2nd photo).

The Carolina horsenettle's Japanese name means "rogue eggplant" and I understood that the name was given after that the Carolina horsenettle is poisonous and in the same family as the eggplant (i.e., Solanaceae), but I've learned that the Carolina horsenettle is "rogue" because it has thorns that you would be pricked by the thorns if trying to remove the plant. 

Carolina horsenettle　悪茄子

 

Solanum carolinense　ワルナスビ

Indian Fritillary (Argynnis Hyperbius) 褄黒豹紋（ツマグロヒョウモン）

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

This is a male Indian fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius). I wanted to take clearer photos but these are the best pictures I could take. The Indian fritillary is said to mimic a plain tiger, which is toxic. The abilities of plants and insects always amaze me.  

Indian fritillary　褄黒豹紋

Argynnis hyperbius　ツマグロヒョウモン

Oleander (Nerium Oleander) 夾竹桃（キョウチクトウ）

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

This is an oleander tree (Nerium oleander) in my neighborhood. I've seen the flowers many times but haven't written about them because I couldn't like them. I didn't know why. But now I'm writing about the flowers because I learned that the tree is so poisonous that even the smoke from the burning tree is poisonous😱. The oleander means in Japan "danger" and "caution." Maybe unconsciously, I felt something dangerous about the tree and couldn't like it. 

Oleander　キョウチクトウ

Nerium Oleander　夾竹桃

Sponge and Bitter Gourds ヘチマとゴーヤ

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

There is a proverb in Japan which goes "When the wind blows, barrel makers get rich." This means that when something happens, it may cause unexpected effects. And that has happened to me this morning! I got these sponge and bitter gourds because I walk and jump rope every day!! (To see the salad I made using the bitter gourds, read this post🥗!)

This morning I saw the gardener of the park in which these gourds grew. Our conversation was like this: ("M" means me and "G" means the gardener.)

M: Good morning! 

G: It's you who walk very quickly and jump rope every morning, isn't it? 

M: Yes! 

G: Do you eat bitter gourds? 

M: I love bitter gourds😀!

G: Okay, I'll give you bitter gourds as a treat!! 

M: Thank you, but I love sponge gourds, too😆!! 

G: Okay, okay.

Sadly, these days, people take bitter gourds without asking, so he apologized to me for being able to give me only small bitter gourds, but that doesn't matter. I'm very happy. If you're interested in how barrel makers get rich when the wind blows, read below. It's nonsense! (Source: Wikimedia Commons): 

1. When the wind blows, dust will be blown into people's eyes. 
2. If dust is blown into people's eyes, some people will go blind. 
3. The traditional employment for blind people in Japan was itinerant shamisen-playing story-tellers. 
4. The blind people would therefore be predicted to purchase shamisen. 
5. The skin of the shamisen is often made of cats. So if blind people increase, then cats will be killed for their skin. 
6. If cats are killed then there will be more mice. 
7. And if there are more mice, people will need to make sure that their rice is kept in barrels. 
8. So they will order barrels. 
9. Barrel makers will get rich.

Sponge and bitter gourds　ヘチマとゴーヤ 

Angel's Trumpet (Datura Metel) チョウセンアサガオ（朝鮮朝顔）

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

This is an angel's trumpet flower (Datura metel). I think it wasn't there yesterday and it was there out of the blue this morning. The angel's trumpet is said to be native to the southern part of the North America and brought into Japan during the Edo period (in the 18th century) as a medicinal plant. Because the flower looks like a morning glory, its Japanese name is Korean morning glory. 

Angel's trumpet　チョウセンアサガオ

Datura metel　朝鮮朝顔

White Platycodon Grandiflorus (Balloon Flower) 白桔梗（シロキキョウ）

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

This is a white balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus). I saw purple ones last month and double-flowered ones a few days ago. I didn't know the plant produces white flowers. I wanted to photograph its balloon shaped white buds but couldn't find one.  

White balloon flower　白桔梗

East Asian Arrowroot (Kudzu Vine, Pueraria Montana Var. Lobata) 葛（クズ）

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

I know that many hate the plant. It's invasive and harmful as @woodkeeper says, but I cannot dislike it because the starch powder made from the plant, i.e., kudzu powder, can become various Japanese sweets!! 

This is a flower of the East Asian arrowroot or kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata) and because of the invasiveness, the kudzu in my neighborhood has been removed😂 as you can see in the 2nd photo and that's why I was able to photograph only a single kudzu flower.  

East Asian arrowroot　葛

Double-Flowered Balloon Flower (Platycodon Grandiflorus) 八重桔梗（ヤエキキョウ）

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

These are double-flowered balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus). I wrote about single-flowered balloon flowers last month. Just the single or double difference makes them completely different flowers.   

Double-flowered balloon flower　八重桔梗

Platycodon grandiflorus　ヤエキキョウ

Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia) 苦瓜（ゴーヤ）

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

This is a female flower and a baby fruit of the bitter gourd or bitter melon (Momordica charantia). I found it while observing sponge gourds (Luffa aegyptiaca). As in the case of the sponge gourd, bitter gourds have male (4th photo) and female flowers. The center of the male flower is yellow while that of the female is green.   

 

A flower and a baby fruit of the bitter gourd　苦瓜の雌花と赤ちゃん

Momordica charantia　ゴーヤ

A female flower of the bitter gourd　ゴーヤの雌花

Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) 百日紅（サルスベリ）

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

These are red and white flowers on crepe myrtle trees. Their cone-shaped flowers always remind me of Japanese shaved ice. I used to have the ice but not anymore because everywhere is too cold to eat it because of air conditioning🥶. 

Red crepe myrtle flowers　百日紅の赤い花

White flowers of Lagerstroemia Indica　サルスベリの白い花

Elaeocarpus Sylvestris (Woodland Elaeocarpus) 胆八樹（ホルトノキ）

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

I use these mops to clear the floor. Do you want one😆? These are flowers of woodland elaeocarpus trees (Elaeocarpus sylvestris). Their color is not gorgeous but the mop-shaped flowers are so cute!

The tree is called in Japan "Portuguese tree," due to a misunderstanding by a Japanese pharmacologist, physician, author, painter and inventor in the 18th century Gennai Hiraga.

Elaeocarpus sylvestris　胆八樹

Woodland elaeocarpus　ホルトノキ

Hibiscus Hamabo (Hardy Yellow Hibiscus) 浜朴（ハマボウ）

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"You're feeling very sleepy....😪." I heard someone say this when looking at the center of the flower.  

These are hardy yellow hibiscuses (Hibiscus hamabo). The stark contrast between the lemon yellow and the dark red always catches my eye. I wanted to photograph the open yellow flowers but I see them only in the early morning, so the flowers are always half open😂.    

Hibiscus hamabo　浜朴

Hardy yellow hibiscus　ハマボウ

Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina Communi) 露草（ツユクサ）

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

Some flowers intrigue me no matter how many times I've seen them. The Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communi) is one such flower because of the blue and the flower shape (which looks like a mantis😆).

Asiatic dayflower　露草

Commelina communi　ツユクサ

A Bee with Pollen Baskets🐝 花粉荷を運ぶハチ🐝

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

I often see bugs hovering over flowers and most of them are horseflies. But finally, I found a honey bee🐝 with pollen baskets on a sponge gourd flower!! The pollen basket is part of the tibia on the hind legs of some female bees. They put pollen in the baskets to carry the pollen to the nest or hive.

Can you see her (as only female bees have pollen baskets) orange pollen baskets? So cute, so adorable😊!

A bee with pollen baskets　花粉荷を運ぶハチ