Vinca Minor (Lesser Periwinkle) 姫蔓日日草（ヒメツルニチニチソウ）

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

This is Vinca minor or more commonly known as lesser periwinkle or dwarf periwinkle. I wrote about Vinca major (or greater periwinkle) more than a month ago, but I saw the two types of Vinca blooming side by side for the first time (2nd photo). The deep (i.e., Vinca minor) and pale (i.e., Vinca major) purple flowers among the green leaves were so beautiful.  

  

Vinca minor 姫蔓日日草

Deep purple lesser periwinkle and pale purple greater periwinkle
ヒメツルニチニチソウ（濃紫）とツルニチニチソウ（薄紫）

Homemade Candied Pomelo Peels パール柑のピール

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

They're candied pomelo peels. I made them! Covid-19 has changed my life in several ways. I've started to take a morning walk and take photos of plants I find during the walk. I've also started to cook something I didn't before because of a long time to cook, like jam or peels. 

The peels are brownish orange because I always use brown sugar to sweeten food. I also eat brown rice and brown bread much more than white ones. Some say that brown food is healthier than white food, but that's not the reason I prefer brown food. I just like them. The thing is that it's difficult to find good rye bread at a reasonable price in Japan. I love a slice of rye bread with such peels and a black coffee!   

Candied pomelo peels パール柑のピール

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Prunus x yedoensis or Yoshino cherry blossoms. Yoshino cherry is one of the most popular cherry cultivars in Japan. I was so lucky to be able to take these close-up photos of such beautiful Yoshino cherry blossoms this season.

Most of the Yoshino cherry trees in my neighborhood are tall and have blossoms high on the trees, but on March 27 when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in Tokyo this year, I found several Yoshino cherry trees, which were tall but had blossoms lower, like 2 meters from the ground.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing my another favorite cherry blossoms, i.e., Gyoiko. They're green/yellow, starting to bloom in mid to late April.    

If you're interested in other cherry blossoms, Yoko, Okame, Kawazu, and Taiwan cherry blossoms, which are all pink, and Oshima cherry blossoms, which are mostly white, click the link(s)!

Prunus x yedoensis blossoms 染井吉野

Yoshino cherry 染井吉野

The most popular cherry blossoms in Japan
桜といえばやっぱり染井吉野かな 

Cerasus ‘Yoko’ (Yoko Cherry) 陽光桜（ヨウコウザクラ）

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

I first thought they were Kawazu cherry blossoms, but I found a tree tag saying that they were Yoko cherry. Kawazu cherry blossoms bloom a little earlier than Yoko cherry, but they resemble each other very much. 

Cherry blossoms blooming relatively earlier tend to be pink, such as Yoko, Kawazu, Okame and Taiwan cherry blossoms. I'm now looking forward to seeing more whitish pink cherry blossoms. 

Cerasus ‘Yoko’ 陽光桜

Yoko cherry ヨウコウザクラ

Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Oriental Paperbush) 三椏（ミツマタ）

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

This is Edgeworthia chrysantha or more commonly known as Oriental paperbush. I've seen the flower buds several times but such open flowers for the first time.  

The flowers are yellow, but they have no petals. What look like the yellow petals are actually the inside of the calyx tubes. 

Edgeworthia chrysantha 三椏

Prunus Cerasifera Var. Atropurpurea (Purple Leaf Plum) 紅葉李（ベニバスモモ）

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

These are the blossoms of Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea or more commonly known as purple leaf plum. Two years ago, I took them for Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, but it's understandable. Both are in the Prunus genus. (So, many Japanese make the same mistake.) One clear difference is that purple leaf trees have purple leaves as suggested by both its English and Japanese names.   

Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea 紅葉李

Purple leaf plum ベニバスモモ

Camellia Japonica (Japanese Camellia) 椿（ツバキ）

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This is Camellia japonica or Japanese camellia. I thought that Japanese camellia produces flowers in winter, but it actually flowers from February to April.

One of the flowers has a lot of pollen on the petals (3rd photo). Japanese camellia is not entomophilous, i.e., pollinated by insects, but ornithophilous, i.e., pollinated by birds, and mostly by warbling white eyes.

  

Camellia Japonica 椿

Japanese camellia ツバキ

Bergenia (Elephant-Eared Saxifrage) ヒマラヤ雪の下（ヒマラヤユキノシタ）

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

This is Bergenia or more commonly known as elephant-eared saxifrage or elephant's ears. Clusters of the pink flowers among literally elephant ear-shaped leaves were gracefully gorgeous.   

Bergenia is evergreen, and the leaves turn red in autumn according to the internet. I want to see them in person.   

Bergenia ヒマラヤ雪の下

Silene Gallica (French Catchfly) マンテマ

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This is Silene gallicas known by several common names such as windmill pink and French catchfly. The flower is tiny, less than 1 cm in diameter.

Spring is the season of rebirth when nature comes back to life, so I'm busy taking pictures of these small plants, and for that, I need to crouch down to take low shots. Most people are busy, just passing by me but dogs, some of which come to me, telling me to get out of their way to do their business...  

Silene gallica マンテマ

French catchfly マンテマ

Cardamine Hirsuta (Hairy Bittercress) 道種漬花（ミチタネツケバナ）

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

This is Cardamine hirsuta or more commonly called hairy bittercress. I couldn't find the name last year, so now I'm happy to have been able to find what this is. The plant is about 10 cm tall and the flower is less than 1 cm in diameter. 

I've never seen the flowers open, so I've been wondering if and when the flower opens.

Cardamine hirsuta 道種漬花

Hairy bittercress ミチタネツケバナ

Vinca Major (Greater Periwinkle) 蔓日々草（ツルニチニチソウ）

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

These are Vinca major or more commonly known as greater periwinkle. I love the flower for the color contrast between the violet purple petals and deep green leaves.   

They're on the roadside, growing like weeds, but they aren't weeds. According to Wikipedia, Vinca major is grown mainly for ornamental purposes. They're beautiful and energetic, which I always admire!

Vinca Major 蔓日々草