A Horsefly on Fish Mint (Houttuynia Cordata) ドクダミとアブ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I know fish mint (Houttuynia cordata) is invasive and smelly but the plant's color contrast always attracts me and its pollen attracts bugs. The pollen must be delicious. The horsefly was going around the green flower many times. 

A horsefly on fish mint (Houttuynia cordata)　ドクダミとアブ

Tokyo Skytree against Sky at Night 夜の東京スカイツリー

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I took this photo to keep a memory of such a beautiful view. The night view included various colors. 

Tokyo Skytree against sky at night　夜の東京スカイツリー

Bladder Campion (Silene Vulgaris) シラタマソウ（白玉草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I love their chubbiness. These are bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) flowers. I've photographed them several times but I noticed for the first time that their anthers were beautiful pale yellow green. 

Bladder campion (Silene vulgaris)　シラタマソウ（白玉草）

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シラタマソウ（白玉草）です。何度か写真撮ったことがあるのですが、葯がこんなに綺麗な薄黄緑だったことに初めて気づきました。

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Love-In-A-Mist (Nigella Damascena) ニゲラ（黒種草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I don't why, but hairy things like these, i.e., love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), always attract me. Most of the flowers in my neighborhood are blue but some (2nd photo) are white. 

Love-In-A-Mist (Nigella Damascena)　ニゲラ（黒種草）

Small Venus' Looking-Glass (Triodanis Biflora) ヒナキキョウソウ（雛桔梗草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are small Venus' looking-glass (Triodanis biflora). I love such small flowers. One thing about them, however, is that the small Venus' looking-glass is usually closed or half open while I take a walk in the early morning (like in the 1st and 2nd photos). 

Small Venus' looking-glass (Triodanis biflora)　ヒナキキョウソウ（雛桔梗草）

Blue Passionflower (Passiflora Caerulea) 時計草（トケイソウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I thought someone had said "It's eight five and seventeen seconds." These are blue passionflowers (Passiflora caerulea) and their Japanese name is "clock plant" after the appearance. 

Blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)　時計草（トケイソウ）

Small-Leaf Spiderwort (Tradescantia Fluminensis) 常盤露草（トキワツユクサ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The beautiful contrast between the white flowers and the deep green leaves caught my eye. They're  small-leaf spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis). Oops, I forgot to say something. The six yellow anthers also play an important role, making the color contrast more visible. 

Small-leaf spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis)　常盤露草（トキワツユクサ）

Flowers of Camphor Tree (Camphora Officinarum) 楠（クスノキ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of a camphor tree (Camphora officinarum). It was a nice surprise to know that such a large tree produces such lovely tiny flowers.  

Camphor tree (Camphora officinarum) flowers　楠（クスノキ）の花

Tree Peony (Chinese Peony, Paeonia Lactiflora) シャクヤク（芍薬）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are tree peonies (Chinese peonies [Paeonia lactiflora]). I sometimes went to the Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden and enjoyed more than 20 types of beautiful peonies there. In Japan, however, the peonies in these pictures (Paeonia lactiflora) are completely different flowers from the peonies in the garden (Moutan peonies or Paeonia x suffruticosa), which can be seen in the following Japanese saying describing a beautiful woman:  

She stands beautifully like a tree peony (Paeonia lactiflora).
She sits beautifully like a Moutan peony (Paeonia x suffruticosa).
She walks beautifully like a lily.

I want to be such a beautiful woman someday...

Tree peony (Chinese peony, Paeonia lactiflora)　シャクヤク（芍薬）

A Larva of Asian Lady Beetle on Hydrangea ナミテントウ（並天道）の幼虫とガクアジサイ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This post is not about hydrangeas but a larva of Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis). I found it while checking up on hydrangeas in my neighborhood. The larva looks like a pest but is actually a beneficial insect voraciously eating aphids.

A larva of Asian lady beetle　ナミテントウ（並天道）の幼虫

Chinaberry (Melia Azedarach) センダン（栴檀）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Chinaberry flowers (Melia azedarach). The flowers look white from a distance, but they actually are pale purple, which creates a beautiful contrast with the green leaves.

Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)　センダン（栴檀）

Japanese Snowbell (Styrax Japonicus) エゴノキ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's been two years since I last photographed Japanese snowbell flowers (Styrax japonicus). Last year, the blossoms in my neighborhood had fallen due to strong winds before I took photos. The tree is called "Egonoki," which means a "bitter tree" due to the bitter fruit. 

Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus)　エゴノキ

Weigela Coraeensis 箱根空木（ハコネウツギ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are a variety of weigelas but this is my favorite, Weigela coraeensis. I love it for the color change from white to pale pink, then to reddish purple. Because of the color change, Weigela coraeensis means "fickleness" in the Japanese floriography.

Weigela coraeensis　箱根空木（ハコネウツギ）

Golden Chain (Laburnum Anagyroides) キングサリ（金鎖）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I thought they were yellow wisteria at first but not. They're golden chain or golden rain (Laburnum anagyroides). Wisteria and golden chain resemble each other (other than the color) but their Genera are different, i.e., wisteria is in the Wisteria Genus while golden chain in the Laburnum Genus. Its Japanese name is also "golden chain."

Golden chain (Laburnum anagyroides)　キングサリ（金鎖）

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Mountain laurels (Kalmia latifolia) have started to bloom. I love the flowers for their shape, which look like parasols, and the buds, which look like konpeito, i.e., tiny star-shaped Japanese sugar candies, which are Pokémon Nebby's favorite food.

Mountain laurel　カルミア

Kalmia latifolia　亜米利加石楠花、アメリカシャクナゲ

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa). Japanese dogwood is called "evergreen Buddhist monk" in Japanese by comparing the head (or capitulum) of the flower to the head of a monk of the Hieizan (Mt. Hiei) Enryakuji temple and the four bracts surrounding the capitulum to his hood.

Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa)　山法師（ヤマボウシ） 

Snowball (Viburnum Plicatum) 大手毬（オオデマリ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are snowball flowers (Viburnum plicatum var. plicatum). The contrast between the pure white flowers and the deep green leaves is profoundly beautiful, which always helps me connect with my inner self. 

Snowball (Viburnum plicatum)　大手毬（オオデマリ）

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I was about to pass by these tiny flowers. They're Japanese mazus (Mazus pumilus). They're small but the color, pale purple and translucent white with yellow spots, is beautiful enough to catch my eye. Despite such tininess, the plant's seed pods explode🤯. I want to see the explosion.    

Japanese mazus (Mazus pumilus)　トキワハゼ（常磐爆）

White Evening-Primrose (Oenothera Rosea) 白花夕化粧（シロバナユウゲショウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I wrote about rosy evening primrose several days ago and looked for white ones after that. And this morning, I found not one but two, which was exciting because finding white evening primroses is like finding four-leaf clovers!  

Can you find the second white evening-primrose?　2つ目分かりますか？

White evening-primrose　白花夕化粧（シロバナユウゲショウ）