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

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So cute and so hardy! Japanese mazus (Mazus pumilus) is native to east and south east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing flowers from early spring to late autumn. Despite such cute appearance and tininess, the plant's seed pods burst🤯 open, which is why the plant is called tokiwa haze in Japanese, translating to "evergreen burst." I want to see the bursts someday.  

2026/3/28

2026/3/28

Winter Cherry (Cerasus x Parvifolia/Cerasus Subhirtella) フユザクラ（冬桜）

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The winter cherry (Cerasus x parvifolia 'Fuyu-zakura') is a crossbreed of Cerasus incisa and Cerasus speciosa. The cherry differs from other cherry trees in its time of blossoming. The winter cherry blossoms twice a year, in early April and in winter (from October to December), because of which the cherry tree is called "winter cherry" in Japan. 

It has another name "koba zakura," which translates into "small leaf cherry" for its relatively smaller leaves. The winter cherry blossoms are less gorgeous but stay longer than other cherry blossoms, which generally fall in two weeks.    

Some say when passing by a winter cherry tree that it's silly, blooming out of season but at such times I always say in my mind "It's you who are silly😝."    

2021/11/25

2026/3/31

2022/12/9

Japanese Red Maple (Acer Pycnanthum) ハナノキ（花之木）

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Japanese red maple trees are native to Japan. Their Japanese name is "hananoki," translating to "flower tree," which is too general, isn't it? The tree is named as such, however, after its deep red flowers standing out because they're produced before green leaves in early spring when no other flowers are seen. This makes sense. I first found the flowers because the red color stood out in early March.  

2026/3/29

2026/3/29

2026/3/29

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

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Blue toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis) is native to North America but can now be found across Japan, producing flowers from April to June. The environment has a lot to do with the growth of plants. Blue toadflax growing in full sun are much taller with "chubbier" flowers than those in less sun. My perception of blue toadflax has completely changed from "fragile" to "(unexpectedly) tough" since I saw the chubby ones. 

2026/3/28

2026/3/28

2025/4/11

Edohigan Cherry (Prunus Itosakura) エドヒガン（江戸彼岸）

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Edohigan cherry (Prunus itosakura) is one of the ten or eleven wild species of cherry trees native to Japan. "Edohigan" translates into "Tokyo higan," named after having being seen in many places around Tokyo, which had been called Edo before 1868 when renamed as Tokyo, and its characteristic of starting to flower in around the spring higan period, i.e., three days before and after the spring equinox (shunbun). Despite such a name, however, the cherry can now be found across Japan. Edohigan cherry trees can live for hundreds or even a thousand years, much longer than other cherry trees, whose lifespan is usually 60 to 100 years. Edohigan is a parent of Somei Yoshino but not only that. It's a parent of weeping cherry, too. 

2026/3/29

2026/3/29

Japanese Maple Flower Buds カエデ（楓）の蕾

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There are more than 130 types of maple trees, most of which are native to East Asia. Maple trees are known for their beautiful autumn leaves but they produce flowers from April to May, which are tiny and lovely, creating such a beautiful red and green contrast. After the flower season, they then produce samaras, which look like two bladed propellers. Maple always reminds me of maple syrup candies made by Laura in Little House in the Big Woods. Her way of making them, i.e., dribbling the syrup onto the snow, intrigued me.   

2026/3/29

2026/3/29

Weeping Cherry Blossoms 枝垂桜（シダレザクラ）

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There're a variety of cherry blossoms and every type is beautiful, but weeping cherry blossoms are a bit different with flexible strength, don't you think? Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen so far. If you're interested, read these posts!

• Somei Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis)
• Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)
• Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa)

2026/3/28

2026/3/28

2026/3/28

Japanese Andromeda (Pieris Japonica) アセビ（馬酔木）

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Japanese andromeda is native to, and can be found across, Japan. The plant usually produces white flowers but another type Japanese andromeda 'Rosea' (Pieris japonica f. Rosea), produces pink flowers. The plant's Japanese name is "asebi (馬酔木)," which translates into "a tree which makes horses drunk" because horses that eat this plant look drunk due to a toxin contained in it. Deer in the Nara Koen park in the Nara prefecture don't eat this plant (how clever they are!), resulting in many Japanese andromeda trees left growing in the park. Japanese andromeda is known for its pretty flowers but its fruits (scroll down!) are also beautiful. 

2026/3/25

2026/3/25

Oshima and Yoshino Cherry Blossoms - Which is Which? 大島桜と染井吉野の見分け方

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It's very difficult to distinguish Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa) from Somei Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis). Both are whitish pink, resembling each other. But there are a couple of clear differences.

First, Oshima cherry trees start to produce white flowers and green leaves at almost the same time while Somei Yoshino produces whitish pink blossoms first and then green leaves after flowers fall. You can see this by comparing the first two photos. Secondly, Oshima cherry blossoms turn whitish pink just before falling while Somei Yoshino blossoms don't. They're just whitish pink from the beginning to the end. Thirdly, although both are pink, the pink is slightly different because Oshima cherry blossoms change color, resulting in them having a gradient from pure white to pale (slightly reddish) pink toward the end of the blossom season whereas Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms' pink is a little smoky. 

If you want to compare these two in more detail, read the posts below.

• Oshima cherry blossoms 
• Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms

If you're interested in brighter pink cherry blossoms, such as Yoko, Okame, Kawazu, and Taiwan cherry blossoms, click the link(s)!

2026/3/24 Somei Yoshino

2026/3/24 Oshima

Common Vetch (Vicia Sativa) ヤハズエンドウ（矢筈豌豆）/ カラスノエンドウ（烏野豌豆）

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Common vetch (Vicia sativa) is native to the Orient and the Mediterranean regions but now can be found across Japan. The vetch produces pink purple flowers from March to June in Japan. They're edible and used to be eaten but no longer (so often) although some say vetch tempura is tasty on the internet. 

2026/3/22

In Japan, Choose Your Words to AVOID Clarity... 言葉を選ばないとそうなりますね。。。

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"Choose your words for the right purpose." That is what I would like to say to Japanese people because of what happened several weeks ago.

Pale Speedwell (Veronica Cymbalaria) コゴメイヌノフグリ（小米犬の陰嚢）

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Pale speedwells (Veronica cymbalaria) are native to Europe. Speedwells can be found across Japan, but this type isn't so prevalent as other speedwells and can be found in and around Tokyo. (I took these pictures in Tokyo.) 

Pale speedwell's Japanese name is "kogome inu no fuguri," translating into "small rice dog balls." The name contains "small rice" because of its size and color and "dog balls" for a terrible reason, which you can read here. If you're interested in other speedwells, read the following posts!    

• 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"
• Ivy-leaved speedwell (Veronica hederifolia) ➡ ツタバイヌノフグリ（フラサバソウ） or "ivy-leaved dog balls"

2026/3/16

2026/3/16

2026/3/16

Variegated Japanese Camellia (Camellia Japonica) 斑入り椿

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There are more than 250 types of Japanese camellias and more than a thousand for camellias, i.e., Japanese camellias and sasanqua camellias. This variegated one is one of them. Variegated camellias are caused by viral infections, genetic mutations, or other reasons and have been appreciated and improved in Japan as an "oddity" since the Edo period (1603-1867). 

2026/3/21

2026/3/21

Flowering Peach (Prunus Persica Hanamomo) ハナモモ（花桃）

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Flowering peach trees are native to China, cultivated for ornamental purposes, and have been improved in Japan to produce more flowers since the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The trees generally bloom from March to April. The flower color ranges from white to red and red and white marble. The Japanese name "hanamomo" translates to "flower peach." Unusually, the English and Japanese names coincide.     

2026/3/20

2025/3/27

"Thousand-Flowered" Pink, Red, and White Japanese Camellias 千重咲きのピンク、赤、白の椿

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Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) has many cultivars and this is one of them, "thousand flowered" Japanese camellias. You don't see stamens because their stamens (and pistils) have disappeared or degenerated, or changed into petals.  

The fact that these camellias have no stamens gave rise to one question for me, i.e. how a thousand flowered camellia dies. Will it fall off in its entirety like other usual Japanese camellias even though it has no stamens? The question occurred to me because the stamens of Japanese camellias (more specifically, the filament part) connect with petals, which allows their unique way of dying as opposed to sasanqua camellias, which die with petals falling off one by one without such connection. The answer is in the 7th photo. Even without stamens, a thousand flowered Japanese camellia falls off in its entirety. A Japanese camellia is a Japanese camellia whether it has stamens or not.  

2026/3/21

2026/3/21

2026/3/8

2026/1/17

2026/3/8

Springstar (Ipheion Uniflorum) ハナニラ（花韮）

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Springstars or spring startflowers (Ipheion uniflorum) are native to Argentina, coming to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). The plant produces flowers ranging from white to purple in spring. Its Japanese name is "hananira," translating into "flower Chinese chives" due to its smell. No worries though. It doesn't smell unless the leaves are ripped or torn. The plant is toxic however.    

2026/3/20

2026/3/20

Japan Has Two Star-of-Bethlehem Flowers 大甘菜とハナニラ、英語はどちらも星！

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Japan has two types of star-of-Bethlehem flowers and their Japanese names differ depending on whether they are smelly or not. The non-smelly one (the first and second photos), or "grass lily" or "nap-at-noon," is called in Japanese "large sweet vegetable" while the other smelly one (in the third photo) "flower Chinese chive."

2020/4/27

2020/4/27

Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium Carolinianum) アメリカフウロ（亜米利加風露）

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Carolina cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) is native to North America but now can be found across Japan. The plant was discovered in Kyoto in 1932. Carolina cranesbill produces tiny flowers (1 cm in diameter) from late April to June in Japan but its fruits look like devils🤣 (see the last two photos)!    

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Crimson Clover ベニバナツメクサ（紅花詰草）

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Crimson clovers (Trifolium incarnatum) are native to Europe and West Asia, coming to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as forage crops. The clovers flower from April to June in Japan but die due to heat in summer.  

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Kawazu Cherry (Cerasus x Kanzakura 'Kawazu-Zakura') カワヅサクラ（河津桜）

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Kawazu cherry is a crossbreed of Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa) and Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) and named in 1972 after the Kawazu town, Shizuoka prefecture (Source: Kawazu town tourist association). Kawazu cherry trees bloom from early February to March, a little earlier than other cherry trees. A Kawazu cherry blossoms festival is held in the town every February.

Below is a list I've enjoyed viewing for the last couple of years. Hope you'll enjoy them, too!

• Somei Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
• Taiwan cherry, Formosan cherry or bellflower cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Oshima cherry (prunus speciosa) - white Oshima; pink Oshima
• Ichiyo cherry (Prunus lannesiana 'Hisakura') - Oshima cherry's kid
• Yoko cherry (Prunus campanulata 'Yoko')
• Winter (October) cherry (Cerasus subhirtella (miq.))
• Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
• Weeping Yoshino cherry (Prunus lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai Shidare')
• Fugenzo cherry (Cerasus sato-zakura group ‘albo-rosea’ Makino)
• Yellow cherry or ukon cherry (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner)
• Kanzan cherry (Prunus lannesiana 'Sekiyama')
• Mountain cherry (Cerasus jamasakura)

2026/2/28

2026/2/28

2026/2/28

Weeping Willow (Salix Babylonica) シダレヤナギ（枝垂柳）

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Weeping willow trees are native to China, coming to Japan during the Nara period (710 to 794). The trees are known for their highly flexible, long, and pendulous twigs, under which ghosts are said to appear in Japan. The flowers, however, are unexpectedly pretty. The willows are dioecious and I think those in these pictures are male.   

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Mottainai - Make it Work or Let it Go? もったいない？あきらめる？

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"I'll marry him because it's mottainai."

Modesty Matters More Than Honesty 正直より謙遜

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It's often said in Japan that if you’re chatting at someone’s house in Kyoto and are told "ぶぶ漬けでもどうですか（Bubuzuke* demo dodesuka [How about ochazuke])?," the person actually means, "It's time for you to leave." Likewise, if your Japanese coworker says, "今度またお昼でも (Kondo mata ohiru demo [Let's have lunch together sometime])," he or she should really mean that they’ve got to go. * Bubuzuke is a Kyoto word for ochazuke.

Red Deadnettle (Lamium Purpureum) ヒメオドリコソウ（姫踊子草）

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Red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is native to Europe and came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912) and now can be found across Japan. The plant resembles henbit deadnettle very much but their leaf colors differ. Red deadnettle's leaves are (as the name suggests) reddish while henbit deadnettle's leaves are green. I often mistook red deadnettle for henbit but not anymore. The 6th photo shows myrmecochory, i.e., the dispersal of seeds by ants.  

2026/2/23

2026/3/15