Satsuki Azalea (Rhododendron Indicum) サツキ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The plant produces white, pink, and red flowers from April to June in Japan. As azalea usually flowers in dense masses, they attract not only attention but also tourists and fee in some parks! 

2026/4/15

Japan categorizes azalea broadly into three types as follows: 

• Rhododendron indicum - "Satsuki" in Japanese
• Rhododendron subg. Hymenantheswhich - "Shakunage" in Japanese
• Other Rhododendron - "Tsutsuji" in Japanese 

Rhododendron subg. Hymenantheswhich (or just Rhododendron) is relatively easy to tell but it's not so easy to distinguish Rhododendron indicum from other Rhododendron. It might be easy to tell based on the timing of flowering. Rhododendron indicum is "satsuki" in Japanese because they start to flower in "May," which translates to also "satsuki." But this no longer works. Because of climate change, satsuki, which is supposed to flower in May, now starts to flower in April.

2026/4/15

2026/4/15

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サツキです。ツツジ（躑躅）はアジア原産ですがサツキは日本原産です。ところで、サツキはツツジ（躑躅）の一種で、シャクナゲも躑躅の一種だということはご存じですか。躑躅属というのがあってその中にサツキもシャクナゲも含まれます。シャクナゲを見分けるのは簡単ですが、ツツジとサツキを見分けるのは難しいです。えっ？五月に咲くからサツキなんだから見分けなんてすぐにつくでしょって？いやいや気候変動でまだ4月なのにこんなに見事に咲いております😂。

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