The weigela (Weigela hortensis) in my neighborhood is now in full bloom and weeping! Weigela hortensis is beautiful in terms of not only flowers but also leaves, which are edged in red.
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| 2025/4/29 |
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| 2025/4/29 |
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| 2025/4/29 |
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| 2025/4/29 |
Weigela Hortensis 谷空木（タニウツギ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The weigela (Weigela hortensis) in my neighborhood is now in full bloom and weeping! Weigela hortensis is beautiful in terms of not only flowers but also leaves, which are edged in red.
The weigela (Weigela hortensis) in my neighborhood is now in full bloom and weeping! Weigela hortensis is beautiful in terms of not only flowers but also leaves, which are edged in red.
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。
Flowers bring happiness and white evening primroses (Oenothera rosea) especially do to me. They were flowering where there had been only pink ones two days ago. Evening primroses usually produce pink flowers, so finding white ones made me feel as if I had found four-leaf clovers!
Flowers bring happiness and white evening primroses (Oenothera rosea) especially do to me. They were flowering where there had been only pink ones two days ago. Evening primroses usually produce pink flowers, so finding white ones made me feel as if I had found four-leaf clovers!
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| 2025/4/29 |
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| 2025/4/29 |
Clematis クレマチス
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are clematises. Their deep purple flowers are so beautiful. The first two photos are (I believe) of Clematis patens or in Japanese "Kazaguruma (meaning pinwheel)" for their pinwheel like flower shape. What look like petals are actually the calyx.
These are clematises. Their deep purple flowers are so beautiful. The first two photos are (I believe) of Clematis patens or in Japanese "Kazaguruma (meaning pinwheel)" for their pinwheel like flower shape. What look like petals are actually the calyx.
The plant is called in two ways in Japan, "Clematis" or "Tessen," and according to Global Center for Natural Resources Sciences, Kumamoto University, Tessen and Kazaguruma are original species native to Asia and by crossing these and other original species, about 300 types of Clematis have been produced so far. If you're interested in double-flowered clematises, read this post!
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| 2025/4/27 Kazaguruma or pinwheel? |
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| 2025/4/27 |
Lesser Quaking-Grass (Briza Minor) ヒメコバンソウ（姫小判草）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are the spikelets of lesser quaking-grass (Briza minor). They're so small that you wouldn't normally notice them. The lesser quaking grass is called "princess" quaking grass in Japanese because it's smaller than another quaking grass, Briza maxima (big quaking grass). In Japan, smaller or adorable plant names often start with "hime," which means "princess."
These are the spikelets of lesser quaking-grass (Briza minor). They're so small that you wouldn't normally notice them. The lesser quaking grass is called "princess" quaking grass in Japanese because it's smaller than another quaking grass, Briza maxima (big quaking grass). In Japan, smaller or adorable plant names often start with "hime," which means "princess."
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| 2025/4/25 |
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| 2025/4/25 |
Hiding Your Head But Not Your Butt 頭隠して尻隠さず
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
This is a real life embodiment of the Japanese saying 頭隠して尻隠さず or "Hiding your head but not your butt." The saying figuratively means that there is no perfect cover-up and, just to be sure, the stink bug was not doing anything wrong.
This is a real life embodiment of the Japanese saying 頭隠して尻隠さず or "Hiding your head but not your butt." The saying figuratively means that there is no perfect cover-up and, just to be sure, the stink bug was not doing anything wrong.
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| 2025/4/27 |
Briza Maxima (Big Quaking Grass) コバンソウ（小判草）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Don't be distracted by bright orange long-headed poppies. This post is about big quaking grass (Briza maxima). When seeing them for the first time I thought they were some bugs but since I knew they were not, I've looked for these cute spikelets every spring. Its Japanese name translates into "old Japanese gold coin plant." Old gold coins in Japan were oval, shaped like the spikelets.
Don't be distracted by bright orange long-headed poppies. This post is about big quaking grass (Briza maxima). When seeing them for the first time I thought they were some bugs but since I knew they were not, I've looked for these cute spikelets every spring. Its Japanese name translates into "old Japanese gold coin plant." Old gold coins in Japan were oval, shaped like the spikelets.
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| 2025/4/27 |
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| 2025/4/25 |
Pink Persian Speedwell? 薄紫のオオイヌノフグリ？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Persian speedwells should be blue. They should grow low in clusters. So, this flower, about 10 cm tall, growing by itself, should not be a Persian speedwell. Can it be a grey field speedwell? No, because grey field speedwell flowers are much smaller, 3 to 4 mm in diameter.
Then, I found several websites showing pink Persian speedwells, standing elegantly. So, I've decided tentatively (??) that this is a pale purple Persian speedwell.
There are various types of speedwells and they all have terrible Japanese names as follows. If you want to know why, read this post and laugh!
- Grey field-speedwell (Veronica polita) => イヌノフグリ or "dog balls"
- Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) => オオイヌノフグリ or "large dog balls"
- Corn speedwell (Veronica arvensis) => タチイヌノフグリ or "standing dog balls"
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| 2025/4/25 |
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| 2025/4/25 |
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| 2025/4/25 |
Japanese Snowball (Viburnum Plicatum) オオデマリ（大手毬）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Japanese snowballs (Viburnum plicatum), which were green and like broccoli (4th and 5th photos) ten days ago, have turned snow white and a tiny bug was resting on one of the balls!
Japanese snowballs (Viburnum plicatum), which were green and like broccoli (4th and 5th photos) ten days ago, have turned snow white and a tiny bug was resting on one of the balls!
When I first saw Japanese snowballs, I thought they were hydrangeas. They resemble each other very much but are in different genera, i.e., Japanese snowballs in the Viburnum genus while hydrangeas in the Hydrangea genus. There are however two clear differences between the two. One is veins in leaves. The veins in Japanese snowball leaves are much clearer than those in hydrangea leaves. The other is the timing of flowering. Japanese snowballs flower generally from April to June earlier than hydrangeas which bloom from May to August.
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| 2025/4/24 |
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| 2025/4/24 |
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| 2025/4/21 |
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| 2025/4/15 |
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides) メタセコイア
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Some plants are pleasing through the year and dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) are one of them. Last autumn, their gorgeous autumn leaves created a magnificent view (7th and subsequent photos). From March to early April this year, their small cones made me chuckle (5th and 6th photos). And now, their leaves have created a magnificent view, which, this time, is freshly green.
Some plants are pleasing through the year and dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) are one of them. Last autumn, their gorgeous autumn leaves created a magnificent view (7th and subsequent photos). From March to early April this year, their small cones made me chuckle (5th and 6th photos). And now, their leaves have created a magnificent view, which, this time, is freshly green.
The dawn redwood is a living fossil species. They're tall and their leaves look like fern leaves, which explains to me why I feel like I were in the dinosaur era under the trees.
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| 2025/4/22 |
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| 2025/4/22 |
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| 2025/4/22 |
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| 2025/4/22 |
Manchurian Violet (Viola Mandshurica) スミレ（菫）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Manchurian violets (Viola mandshurica), the second type of violet I've seen following Viola grypoceras. Both are violet color but Manchurian violets are deep while Viola grypoceras pale. Despite their pretty, delicate appearance, violets are very hardy growing on sidewalks.
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| 2025/4/22 |
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| 2025/4/22 |
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| 2025/4/22 |
Miquel's Mazus (Mazus Miquelii) ムラサキサギゴケ（紫鷺苔）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Miquel's mazus (Mazus miquelii). They resemble Japanese mazus (Mazus pumilus) very much in terms of the flower color, shape and size, but you can tell which is which based on the direction of growing. Japanese mazus grows upward while Miquel's mazus grows low to the ground. But still so confusing.
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/19 |
Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria Floribunda) 藤（フジ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
They're Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo (1st and 2nd photos). Because of the rising temperature from the previous day, the wisteria at the gardens suddenly blossomed according to a guide. The third and fourth photos are of Japanese wisteria in my neighborhood taken this year and the remaining are of the wisteria I saw a few years ago in Hie Jinja shrine, Akasaka Tokyo.
They're Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo (1st and 2nd photos). Because of the rising temperature from the previous day, the wisteria at the gardens suddenly blossomed according to a guide. The third and fourth photos are of Japanese wisteria in my neighborhood taken this year and the remaining are of the wisteria I saw a few years ago in Hie Jinja shrine, Akasaka Tokyo.
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/16 |
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| 2025/4/16 |
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| April 2021 |
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| April 2021 |
Sato Cherry Blossoms (Prunus Serrulata) サトザクラ（里桜）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Oshima cherry blossoms have almost all fallen in Tokyo and now late bloomers, such as Sato cherry (Prunus serrulata), are in full blossom! There are various types of Sato cherry trees and the first three photos are of one of them, named Yae beni toranoo, meaning "double flowered pink tiger tails" after its branches with dense clusters of pale pink blossoms that look like tiger tails. Gorgeous!
Oshima cherry blossoms have almost all fallen in Tokyo and now late bloomers, such as Sato cherry (Prunus serrulata), are in full blossom! There are various types of Sato cherry trees and the first three photos are of one of them, named Yae beni toranoo, meaning "double flowered pink tiger tails" after its branches with dense clusters of pale pink blossoms that look like tiger tails. Gorgeous!
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| 2025/4/19 Yae beni toranoo ヤエベニトラノオ |
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| 2025/4/19 |
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| 2025/4/19 |
Yellow Cherry Blossoms (Ukon Cherry) 黄色の桜「ウコン（鬱金）」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I enjoyed YELLOW and GREEN cherry blossoms yesterday at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo. The yellow one is Ukon (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner) in this post and the green one is Gioiko (see this post)! Ukon and Gioiko cherry trees are both late bloomers, so luckily I was able to enjoy both blossoms.
Ukon cherry blossoms are popular for their yellow flowers whose core turns red before they fall, creating a beautiful color contrast between yellow, green and red. The flowers are multi-petalled and freshly gorgeous!! The name Ukon, meaning turmeric, is after the yellow color of fabric dyeing with turmeric. The chloroplasts of Ukon and Gioiko both contain carotenoid (i.e., yellow pigment) and chlorophyll (i.e., green pigment) but Ukon's contain less chlorophyll, producing greenish YELLOW flowers while Gioiko's contain more chlorophyll, producing yellowish GREEN blossoms.
Green Cherry Blossoms (Gioiko Cherry) 緑の桜「ギョイコウ（御衣黄）」
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I enjoyed YELLOW and GREEN cherry blossoms yesterday at Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo, one is Ukon (see this post) and the other is Gioiko (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Gioiko’ Koidz.) in this post!
The name "Gioiko" is after the yellow color of Japanese nobility clothing, but as you can see, these blossoms are rather green. The chloroplasts of Gioiko and Ukon both contain carotenoid (i.e., yellow pigment) and chlorophyll (i.e., green pigment) but Gioiko's contain more chlorophyll, producing yellowish GREEN flowers while Ukon's contain less chlorophyll, producing greenish YELLOW blossoms.
Despite such green blossoms, its Japanese name "御衣黄" contains "黄," which means yellow. It's so confusing.
White Skullcaps (Scutellaria Indica Var. Parvifolia F. Alba.) シロバナコバナタツナミ（白花小花立浪草）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Some flowers are more beautiful from the side and skullcaps are one of them. They're small white skullcaps (Scutellaria indica var. parvifolia f. alba.). The white ones were not there two weeks ago when I found the purple ones, so it was a happy surprise to find the purple and white skullcaps, growing side by side with, creating a kingdom of their own.
Some flowers are more beautiful from the side and skullcaps are one of them. They're small white skullcaps (Scutellaria indica var. parvifolia f. alba.). The white ones were not there two weeks ago when I found the purple ones, so it was a happy surprise to find the purple and white skullcaps, growing side by side with, creating a kingdom of their own.
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| 2025/4/18 |
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| 2025/4/18 |
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| 2025/4/18 |
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Weigela Hortensis 谷空木（タニウツギ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 The weigela (Weigela hortensis) in my neighborhood is now in full bloom and weeping! Weigela hortensis is beautiful in terms ...
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Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 This is prunus persica in Tokyo National Museum . The branches weep down to the ground and the flow... -
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 This is narcissus papyraceus or more commonly paperwhite, the fourth type of narcissus I've ev...