Chickweed (Stellaria Media) コハコベ（小繁縷）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Why didn't I notice such tiny but beautiful flowers? I walk there every early morning, but didn't see chickweeds at all. I googled and found that that was understandable. Chickweed flowers are close and leaves fold up at night. I was carrying heavy groceries when finding them but of course stopped to photograph them. The flower has five petals but they're bifid, which makes the flower look like having ten petals.  

Chickweed (Stellaria)　ハコベ（繁縷）

Yoko Cherry Blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’) 陽光桜（ヨウコウザクラ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're Yoko cherry blossoms (Cerasus ‘Yoko’). The pink blossoms stood out from a distance. It was warmer in February but got colder in March. It's been very windy these days. Such unusual weather has delayed the beginning of the cherry blossom season across Japan. (I saw almost full-bloomed blossoms on these Yoko cherry trees in mid-March last year.) But that's not bad, is it? 

Yoko cherry (Cerasus Yoko)　ヨウコウザクラ（陽光桜）

Springstar (Ipheion Uniflorum) 花韮（ハナニラ）

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

It's been windy in Tokyo and springstar (Ipheion uniflorum) has been almost blown away like those in the first picture. The flowers in the pictures are all pale purple, but springstar produces white flowers, too. 

Springstar (Ipheion uniflorum)　花韮（ハナニラ）

Spiraea Thunbergii (Baby's Breath Spirea) 雪柳（ユキヤナギ）

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

They're baby's breath spirea (Spiraea thunbergii). The plant is called in Japanese "snow willow" after its snow white flowers and flexible stems like willow. 

Baby's breath spirea (Spiraea thunbergii)　ユキヤナギ（雪柳）

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) and you may think now these are beautiful cherry blossoms, but in Japan, they're not "cherry." 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. These blossoms are called in Japanese "beniba sumomo," meaning "red leaf plum."

Having said that however, many Japanese, including myself before knowing that, don't distinguish between Prunus and Cerasus exactly. That's why while I was photographing them, two women talked to me, saying that these cherry blossoms were so pretty. I proudly😜 explained that they were not "cherry" but "plum." Both were surprised and thanked me! The cherry, oops, plum blossoms, not only gave me joy but also created opportunities to have enjoyable chats with these ladies.

Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)　ベニバスモモ（紅葉李）

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles Speciosa) ボケ（木瓜）

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

These are flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). They're beautiful but called in Japanese "bokay or bokey," meaning silly or stupid😂. Although their name is terrible, the flower language includes pioneer and passion. Flowering quince produces white, pink, and red flowers, too.  

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)　ボケ（木瓜）