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| 2025/2/27 |
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| 2025/2/27 |
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| 2025/2/27 |
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| 2025/2/27 |
Cucumber Herb (Trigonotis Peduncularis) 胡瓜草（キュウリグサ）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Small plants have waken up from winter sleep. These are cucumber herbs (Trigonotis peduncularis). The flowers are so tiny, 0.2 - 0.3 cm in diameter. Sadly, however, they'll be removed soon because of growing in a wrong place, i.e., a place for more fancy flowers to "entertain" pedestrians. No worries, though. Cucumber herbs are small but so hardy that I'm sure I can see them soon somewhere else.
Red Japanese Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis Japonica F. Incarnata) アカバナマンサク（赤花万作）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
When writing about Japanese witch-hazel (which was yellow) yesterday, I learned that the plant produces red flowers and surprisingly, today, I found them! This made me do further research, leading to finding that there is another genus in the witch-hazel family which produces white flowers from April to May. I've got to find them!
When writing about Japanese witch-hazel (which was yellow) yesterday, I learned that the plant produces red flowers and surprisingly, today, I found them! This made me do further research, leading to finding that there is another genus in the witch-hazel family which produces white flowers from April to May. I've got to find them!
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| 2025/2/24 |
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| 2025/2/24 |
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| 2025/2/24 |
Japanese Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis Japonica) マンサク（満作）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
These are Japanese witch-hazel flowers (Hamamelis japonica). Their (unique) string shape and color contrast between the bright yellow (i.e., petals) and the red (i.e., sepals) caught my eye. Japanese witch-hazel signifies the return of happiness in Japan.
These are Japanese witch-hazel flowers (Hamamelis japonica). Their (unique) string shape and color contrast between the bright yellow (i.e., petals) and the red (i.e., sepals) caught my eye. Japanese witch-hazel signifies the return of happiness in Japan.
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| 2026/2/23 |
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| 2026/2/23 |
Weeping Plum Blossoms しだれ梅
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The weeping Japanese apricot tree in my neighborhood which started to bloom about a month ago (4th photo) is now in full bloom! Needless to say, plum blossoms are beautiful but weeping ones are spectacular.
Plants make people more talkative. A Hamilton's spindletre tree did so and a plum tree did so, too. And thanks to that, I learned about the tree and was able to take these pictures.
The weeping Japanese apricot tree in my neighborhood which started to bloom about a month ago (4th photo) is now in full bloom! Needless to say, plum blossoms are beautiful but weeping ones are spectacular.
Plants make people more talkative. A Hamilton's spindletre tree did so and a plum tree did so, too. And thanks to that, I learned about the tree and was able to take these pictures.
The seventh and subsequent photos were taken two years ago in Ueno, Tokyo. They were taken on a late afternoon when the Moon started rising in the sky.
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| 2025/2/22 |
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| 2025/2/22 |
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| 2025/2/22 |
Lady's Smock (Cardamine Pratensis) ハナタネツケバナ（花種漬花）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I've been looking down recently while on a morning walk to find speedwells and shaggy soldiers but in vain. Instead, I've found these tiny flowers surrounded by the deep green leaves. I guess they're lady's smocks (Cardamine pratensis) because of their cupped shape like smocks. So cute, so adorable, but so difficult to take photos of when windy.
I've been looking down recently while on a morning walk to find speedwells and shaggy soldiers but in vain. Instead, I've found these tiny flowers surrounded by the deep green leaves. I guess they're lady's smocks (Cardamine pratensis) because of their cupped shape like smocks. So cute, so adorable, but so difficult to take photos of when windy.
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| 2025/2/20 |
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| 2025/2/20 |
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| 2025/2/20 |
Pink, White, and Pink/White Plum Blossoms (Prunus Mume) 紅白＆源平咲きの梅
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
A Japanese apricot tree, which had almost no flowers last week, has come into bloom with deep pink blossoms, creating the beautiful contrast against the white blooms and the blue sky.
In Japan, plum blossoms are less popular, attracting less attention than cherry blossoms, but during the Nara period (from 710 to 794), the other way round. People enjoyed viewing not cherry but plum blossoms while eating, drinking, and composing waka or Japanese poems under the trees in spring.
Some plum trees produce white and pink blossoms on the same tree. If you're interested in the mechanism, read this post!
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| 2025/2/15 |
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| 2025/2/15 |
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| 2025/2/15 |
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| 2025/2/15 |
Winter Aconite (Eranthis Pinnatifida)? セツブンソウ（節分草）？
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I've done research for the last week to identify these flowers but in vain and now have come to think they may be winter aconites (Eranthis pinnatifida) (although I'm still not certain). The winter aconite is called "setsubun sou" in Japanese, meaning "setsubun plant" after its flowering around the setsubun day or February 3, i.e., the date before the beginning of spring on the lunisolar calendar.
I've done research for the last week to identify these flowers but in vain and now have come to think they may be winter aconites (Eranthis pinnatifida) (although I'm still not certain). The winter aconite is called "setsubun sou" in Japanese, meaning "setsubun plant" after its flowering around the setsubun day or February 3, i.e., the date before the beginning of spring on the lunisolar calendar.
Winter aconite means "grace," "brilliance," "smile" and "I dislike people." I don't understand what the last one means.
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| 2025/2/1 |
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| 2025/2/1 |
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| 2025/2/1 |
Seeds of Spike Winter Hazel (Corylopsis Spicata) 土佐水木（トサミズキ）の種
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I originally wrote this post on 7 February believing that they were cherry seeds, but on 17 March, I found I was mistaken. They're seeds of spike winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata). I'm writing to correct the previous post. If you're interest in the reason for the mistake and beautiful flowers of spike winter hazel, read this post!
The popularity of a plant doesn't necessarily mean its popularity after blooming and this is a typical example for that, isn't it? These are cherry seeds (according to the buds in the 2nd photo). The black seeds covered by torn fruit skin caught my eye. They will fall off soon to be replaced by beautiful blossoms, but it's too unfair. That's why I'm writing this post, wishing you to (sometimes) look at such adorable but often overlooked fruits and seeds.
I originally wrote this post on 7 February believing that they were cherry seeds, but on 17 March, I found I was mistaken. They're seeds of spike winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata). I'm writing to correct the previous post. If you're interest in the reason for the mistake and beautiful flowers of spike winter hazel, read this post!
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| 2025/2/6 |
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| 2025/2/6 |
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| 2025/2/6 |
Mascarene Island Leaf Flower (Phyllanthus Tenellus) ナガエコミカンソウ（長柄小蜜柑草）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Can you see tiny green things hanging from stems? They're flowers of Mascarene Island leaf (Phyllanthus tenellus) or "nagae komikan sou" in Japanese, which means "long stem small mandarin orange plant." You can see how tiny the fruits are by looking at the second photo. The third and subsequent photos are of the buds, which are so tiny and adorable. I've now realized that I missed seeing the flowers.
Can you see tiny green things hanging from stems? They're flowers of Mascarene Island leaf (Phyllanthus tenellus) or "nagae komikan sou" in Japanese, which means "long stem small mandarin orange plant." You can see how tiny the fruits are by looking at the second photo. The third and subsequent photos are of the buds, which are so tiny and adorable. I've now realized that I missed seeing the flowers.
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| 2025/2/3 |
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| 2025/2/1 |
Japanese Jasmine (Jasminum Mesnyi) オウバイモドキ/ウンナンオウバイ（黄梅擬/雲南黄梅）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
It wasn't until last Sunday that I noticed these blooms. They're Japanese jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi). It was raining in Tokyo that day and that's why the two flowers in the first photo were wet and partially frozen, looking like artificial flowers. Although one of its common English names is Japanese jasmine, it's native to Vietnam and southern China and so the plant's called "Yunnan yellow apricot" in Japanese.
It wasn't until last Sunday that I noticed these blooms. They're Japanese jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi). It was raining in Tokyo that day and that's why the two flowers in the first photo were wet and partially frozen, looking like artificial flowers. Although one of its common English names is Japanese jasmine, it's native to Vietnam and southern China and so the plant's called "Yunnan yellow apricot" in Japanese.
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| 2025/2/2 |
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| 2025/2/4 |
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| 2025/2/2 |
Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga Quadriradiata) ハキダメギク（掃溜菊）
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I thought at first they were something remaining after flowers fell off but something bothered me. They're not just the remaining but some small flowers, are they? I did research and learned that they're shaggy soldiers (Galinsoga quadriradiata). They'are so cute and adorable. So, its Japanese name surprised me.
I thought at first they were something remaining after flowers fell off but something bothered me. They're not just the remaining but some small flowers, are they? I did research and learned that they're shaggy soldiers (Galinsoga quadriradiata). They'are so cute and adorable. So, its Japanese name surprised me.
Its Japanese name is "hakidame giku," which means "rubbish heap chrysanthemum"!! The plant was named so by Dr. Tomitaro Makino, a late Japanese botanist, because he found it in a rubbish heap. I respect and admire him but can't approve of his taste in naming plants. The shaggy soldier is definitely one such example and another is speedwell.
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| 2025/2/1 |
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| 2025/2/1 |
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