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）

Citrus Natsudaidai 夏みかん

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I remember the citrus tree had fruits just one month ago, but without my knowledge, the tree has started to bud and even flower beautifully. I once asked the facility manager there to give some fruits to make jam and got some at that time, but no more. The manager told me that they couldn't give the fruits to anyone without the head office's approval and that the head office would no longer approve any such request due to the company's policy. The policy sucks, doesn't it?  

Citrus　夏みかん

Portuguese Squill (Scilla Peruviana) オオツルボ（大蔓穂）

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The stark contrast between the green leaves and the purple flowers caught my eye. They're Portuguese squill flowers (Scilla peruviana). The star shaped flowers (3rd photo) form a raceme that looks like a hydrangea.

Portuguese squill (Scilla peruviana)　オオツルボ（大蔓穂）

Weigela Floribunda 藪空木（ヤブウツギ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The Weigela season has started. It's been warm (or even hot!) since yesterday, so the tree, which had had only several flowers yesterday, was almost in full bloom this morning. I like Weigela for not only pretty flowers but also red edged leaves. 

When I was taking these photos, a walking friend of mine, who's 95 years old, came to me to say hello as usual. She takes an early morning walk almost everyday. I just respect her way of life. 

Weigela floribunda　藪空木（ヤブウツギ）

The red edged leaves are also beautiful　赤い縁の葉もきれいです

A Horsefly on Rosy Evening-Primrose 赤花夕化粧とアブ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Rosy evening-primroses have started to bloom in my neighborhood and this morning I found one of them different. It had a black spot on it. That was a horsefly. I approached quietly and was able to take photos without waking the bug up. 

A horsefly on rosy evening-primrose　赤花夕化粧とアブ

A Glass Bead-Like Water Droplet トンボ玉水滴

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's like a glass bead, isn't it? This is a water droplet on a blueberry flower. The blueberry flower season will soon be over and that's why a water droplet was able to land on this wilting flower, creating such beauty of nature.   

A water droplet on a wilting blueberry flower　水滴とブルーベリーの花

Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus Canadensis) 松葉雲蘭（マツバウンラン）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I love blue toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis) because of their fragile appearance. So, I was surprised to learn that some are chubby (2nd photo)! 

Blue toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)　松葉雲蘭（マツバウンラン）

Chubby blue toadflax　ぽちゃぽちゃ😊

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida) ハナミズキ（花水木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) tree is now in full bloom. The green flowers are so beautiful. Did you say something? No, I'm not mistaken. The flowers are green and the white things that look like petals are bracts😆.  

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)　花水木（ハナミズキ）

Japanese Maple Seeds 楓（カエデ）の種コプター

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The Japanese maple flower season will soon be over and the seeds and green leaves season has arrived! The seeds always remind me of Doraemon bamboo copter😊.

Japanese maple seeds and green leaves　楓（カエデ）の種コプターと青紅葉

The seeds look like Doraemon bamboo copter　タケコプターみたいです

Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola Solitarius) イソヒヨドリ（磯鵯）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The early bird gets the worm and so do I. This is a male blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius). The blue-grey head and the orange plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail was so beautiful that I just stopped to see him. But that's not it. He started singing beautifully. I couldn't tell what he was singing, but his voice was so captivating that I was just there, listening to it for a while. This is the best shot with my camera. 

Blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius)　イソヒヨドリ（磯鵯）

Banana Shrub (Magnolia Figo) 唐種招霊（カラタネオガタマ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are banana shrub (Magnolia figo) flowers. As the name suggests, they're a type of Magnolia, like yulan magnolia, mulan magnolia, and southern magnolia, but you wouldn't tell just by looking at them. I smelled the flowers to see if they really smell like bananas but because of loss of my sense of smell (?), I smelled nothing.   

Banana shrub (Magnolia figo)　唐種招霊（カラタネオガタマ）

Yellow Cherry Blossoms are Turning Pink 黄色の桜（御衣黄）がだんだんピンクに

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

At least two types of cherry blossoms change their color from their original color to pink while in bloom. One is Oshima cherry, whose blossoms change from white to pink and the other is these yellow blossoms, Gioko, which are originally green yellow but turn pink in the flower center. That's why you wouldn't notice Gioko cherry blossoms when they start to bloom because their yellow green blossoms blend into the green leaves. Now the flower center turning pink, Gioko blossoms have started to reveal their hidden beauty. 

Yellow cherry (Cerasus Sato-zakura group 'Gioiko' Koidz)　黄色の桜「御衣黄」

A Lake Fly on Mountain Doghobble (Leucothoe Fontanesiana) ユスリカとセイヨウイワナンテン（西洋岩南天）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's unusual for me to come across an unknown plant in my neighborhood these days. It's also unusual for me to be able to take clear photos of a bug on a plant. (Bugs usually fly away before I can take such pictures). Today, though, I was able to do both, i.e., take pictures of a lake fly (Chironomidae) on flowers of mountain doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana). It's a good day😊.

A lake fly on mountain doghobble　ユスリカとセイヨウイワナンテン（西洋岩南天）

An Ant on Lamium Purpureum (Red Deadnettle) アリンコと姫踊子草（ヒメオドリコソウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's been too warm for early April in Tokyo and because of that, plants and bugs have become active. Can you see it on a leaf of red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)? I was watching the ant for a while but it climbed up, hiding behind another leaf. 

An ant on red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)　アリと姫踊子草（ヒメオドリコソウ）

Weeping Maple Flowers 紅枝垂れ紅葉（ベニシダレモミジ）の花

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This is a weeping red maple tree (Acer palmatum var. matsumurae cv. Ornatum). The tree leaves don't turn red. They are red in the first place when they sprout in spring, which gives us an opportunity to enjoy such deep red leaves and tiny red flowers at the same time.

Weeping maple flowers　紅枝垂れ紅葉（ベニシダレモミジ）の花

Yellow Cherry Blossoms (Cerasus Sato-Zakura Group 'Gioiko' Koidz) 黄色の桜「御衣黄」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I enjoy cherry blossoms every year, in particular these yellow blossoms, Gioko. They're very beautiful but don't attract much attention because of Oshima cherry blossoms nearby. It's understandable that pink cherry blossoms stand out more than yellow ones. Every time I photograph them, however, people first look at me, wondering what I'm doing and then notice this tree is also a cherry tree with yellow flowers. Then, I proudly say that this is Gioko cherry, producing yellow blossoms😉. 

Yellow cherry (Cerasus Sato-zakura group 'Gioiko' Koidz)　黄色の桜「御衣黄」

Double-Flowered Prunus Serrulata Blossoms 八重咲き里桜

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Oshima cherry blossoms have almost all fallen in Tokyo and now late blooming cherry trees are in full bloom. They're Sato cherry (Prunus serrulata)! They're gorgeous because of double flowers but also cute for the pink color.

Double-flowered prunus serrulata blossoms　八重咲き里桜 

Juneberry (Amelanchier Canadensis) ジューンベリー（亜米利加采振木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I wrote about blueberry flowers yesterday and today is about Juneberry flowers. The blueberry trees in my neighborhood haven't produced berries (because of the lack of acidity in the soil according to @zaungruen [Thanks!]), but I've seen Juneberries, which are red, on these trees several times. Juneberries are edible.

Juneberry (Amelanchier canadensis)　ジューンベリー（亜米利加采振木）