Male Flowers of Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）の雄花

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are male flowers of Akebia quinata or commonly known as chocolate vine. I wrote about the plant last month but the post (and the photos in it) was mainly about the female flowers. Then, yesterday I found these. Look at the pink and purple striped flowers! I couldn't help but write about them!

Male flowers of chocolate vine　木通の雄花

Male flowers of Akebia quinata　アケビの雄花

Double Pink Flowered Cherry Blossoms 八重桜

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're double flowered cherry blossoms. Cherry trees generally bloom from early February (e.g., Kawazu cherry and Taiwan cherry) to mid-to late March (e.g., Oshima and Somei cherry trees), then early April (e.g., double-flowered cherry and mountain cherry). So, the blooming of double flowered cherry trees means the cherry blossom season this year will soon be over. But before that, enjoy these pretty "chubby" blossoms!!

Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen this year. If you're interested in them, read these posts, too!!

• Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)
• Pink & white Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa)
• Weeping cherry blossoms
• Somei cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)

Double pink flowered cherry blossoms　八重桜

Double pink flowered cherry blossoms　八重桜

Ajuga Decumbens 金瘡小草（キランソウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These're flowers of Ajuga decumbens surrounded by cherry blossom petals! You can see how Ajuga is pretty and tiny!!

Ajuga decumbens has various names in Japanese, such as "Lid of cauldron of hell" by comparing the plant, which covers the ground, to the lid of the cauldron of hell or "(Plant) keeping doctors away" because of its pain relief effects.

2022/4/18

 

2023/4/2

2023/4/2

2022/4/18

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

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Flowering dogwood has started to flower!! They're beautiful but also remind me of mandu dumplings😋

The cream white things that look like flower petals are actually bracts. The petals are tiny greenish yellow objects protruding from the center of the flowers. 

Flowering dogwood　花水木

Cornus florida　ハナミズキ

Maple Flowers 楓の花

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Maples are known for their beautiful autumn leaves, but don't you think these tiny flowers are as beautiful as the leaves?😊   

Maple Flowers　楓の花

Maple Flowers　楓の花

Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis) 勿忘草（ワスレナグサ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These're forget-me-nots (Myosotis). They're tiny but their color contrast between the blue purple petals and the yellow centers against the green leaves after the rain was so beautiful. 

 Forget-me-not　勿忘草

 Myosotis　ワスレナグサ

Somei Cherry Blossoms (Prunus x Yedoensis) 染井吉野（ソメイヨシノ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're Somei cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis). Most Somei cherry trees in my neighborhood produce flowers too high to reach, but luckily I've found a tree by which there're stairs and I was able to take some close-up photos.

Somei cherry blossoms are slightly pink but almost white, different from other cherry tree blossoms like those below. If you want to compare them, read these posts, too!!

• Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)
• Pink & white Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa)
• Weeping cherry blossoms

2023/3/29

2023/3/29

2023/3/29

Japanese Laurel (Aucuba Japonica) 青木（アオキ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica). I saw the buds early this month and who can imagine the usual buds to grow into such tiny star-shaped flowers!! 

Japanese laurel　青木

Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Akebia quinata or commonly known as chocolate vine. The shades ranging from pale green to burgundy purple are so chic, aren't they? Chocolate vine is monoecious, meaning it has male and female flowers on the same plant. What look like flowers in these photos are however not flowers but sepals and the objects protruding from the center of the what-look-like-flowers are the female flowers and the smaller pink and purple striped, onion-shaped objects beside the female flowers are their male counterparts. The fruits are edible, though I've never tried.  

Male (smaller striped) and female (protruding from the center of what-look-like-flowers)
flowers of Akebia quinata　木通の雄花と雌花

Before the sepals open　萼片が開く前

Chocolate vine　アケビ

Pink & White Oshima Cherry (Prunus Speciosa) 大島桜（オオシマザクラ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Oshima cherry blossoms (Prunus speciosa). The color is beautiful and a change of the color from white to pink is more beautiful. Most Oshima cherry trees produce white blossoms but they produce pink flowers before dying. I especially love the pinkish white blossoms in the last two photos. 

Below are the cherry blossoms I've seen this year. If you're interested, read these posts!

• Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• Kawazu cherry (Cerasus lannesiana)

Pink Oshima cherry　ピンクの大島桜

Kawazu-Zakura Cherry Blossoms (Cerasus Lannesiana)? 河津桜?

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The trees (which I believe are Kawazu-zakura) in my neighborhood are now in full bloom!! Yesterday it rained throughout the day, but today it's so sunny, which makes these beautiful pink blossoms look even more beautiful!!

I said "I believe they're Kawazu cherry trees" because it's a little late for them to blossom (most Kawazu cherry trees in Japan have finished their blossom season) and none of these trees have name tags. But it doesn't matter. Sunny weather and beautiful cherry blossoms against the blue sky makes me happy!! 

Kawazu cherry blossoms?　河津桜?

Cerasus lannesiana　カワヅザクラ