Plant List

Common Dandelion🌼

Taraxacum officinale

キク科

A perennial herb that blooms yellow flowers from spring to early summer. One of the most commonly seen plants along roadsides and in parks. Originally from Europe, this introduced species can be distinguished from native Japanese dandelions by its reflexed (recurved) outer involucral bracts.

Sunflower🌻

Helianthus annuus

キク科

An annual herb native to North America, reaching 1-3 m in height, characterized by its large yellow capitula. The seeds are used for food and oil production. Commonly cultivated in school gardens and farmland.

Annual Fleabane🌼

Erigeron annuus

キク科

An introduced species from North America. An annual or biennial herb that produces numerous small white flowers from spring to autumn. Commonly found along roadsides and in vacant lots. Often confused with the similar Erigeron philadelphicus.

Philadelphia Fleabane🌼

Erigeron philadelphicus

キク科

An introduced perennial from North America, common along roadsides in spring. Closely resembles E. annuus but can be distinguished by its earlier flowering period (spring only), hollow stems, and cauline leaves that clasp the stem.

Japanese Mugwort🌿

Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii

キク科

A perennial herb found throughout Japan in grasslands and along roadsides. Young spring shoots are used to make kusa-mochi (mugwort rice cakes). The undersides of leaves are covered in white woolly hairs, and the plant has a distinctive aroma. Also known as the source material for moxa (used in moxibustion).

Tall Goldenrod🌼

Solidago altissima

キク科

An introduced species from North America. Forms dense colonies with yellow flower spikes in autumn. Known as an invasive alien species, forming large stands along riverbanks and wastelands. Once mistakenly blamed for hay fever, but it is insect-pollinated and not a cause of pollen allergies.

Garden Cosmos🌸

Cosmos bipinnatus

キク科

An annual herb native to Mexico. A quintessential autumn flower, producing pink, white, and red blooms. The leaves are finely divided into thread-like segments. Also written as 'autumn cherry blossom' in Japanese, it is a beloved symbol of autumn in Japan.

Somei-yoshino Cherry🌸

Prunus × yedoensis

バラ科

The most widely beloved cherry blossom in Japan. Believed to be a hybrid between Prunus pendula f. ascendens and Prunus speciosa. Originated in the late Edo period and now accounts for the majority of cherry trees planted along streets and in parks. Characteristically flowers before the leaves emerge.

Japanese Apricot🌸

Prunus mume

バラ科

A deciduous small tree originating from China, cultivated in Japan since ancient times. Blooms white to pink flowers before the leaves emerge in early spring. An important source for umeboshi (pickled plums) and plum wine. Flowers earlier than cherry blossoms, heralding the arrival of spring.

Japanese Rose🌸

Rosa multiflora

バラ科

A wild rose native to the mountains and fields of Japan. Produces clusters of small white 5-petaled flowers in early summer, followed by small red rose hips in autumn. Branches bear thorns. Also widely used as rootstock for grafted roses.

Japanese Silver Grass🌾

Miscanthus sinensis

イネ科

An iconic plant of autumn in Japan. A perennial grass (Poaceae) that forms dense colonies in grasslands, riverbanks, and mountain meadows. The silvery plumes swaying in the autumn breeze are a beloved sight. Stems are thick and erect.

Green Foxtail🌾

Setaria viridis

イネ科

One of the most common annual grasses found along roadsides and in vacant lots. Produces cylindrical green to yellowish-brown bristly spikes from summer to autumn. Commonly known as 'neko-jarashi' (cat teaser) in Japan, as children use the spikes to play with cats.

Common Reed🌾

Phragmites australis

イネ科

A large perennial grass that forms dense colonies along rivers, lakes, and wetland margins. Reaches 1-3 m in height and produces brown plumes in autumn. Distributed worldwide, it is used for thatched roofing and water purification. Also known as common reed.

White Clover🌿

Trifolium repens

マメ科

An introduced perennial from Europe, widely found in parks and grasslands. Bears white globular flower heads. Characterized by its trifoliate leaves (rarely four-leaved), beloved by children who search for four-leaf clovers. Performs nitrogen fixation through symbiosis with rhizobia.

Red Clover🌿

Trifolium pratense

マメ科

An introduced perennial from Europe, originally introduced as a forage crop and now naturalized along roadsides and in grasslands. Bears reddish-purple globular flower heads. Larger and more upright than white clover.

Common Vetch🌿

Vicia sativa

マメ科

A winter annual found along roadsides and in grasslands in spring. Bears reddish-purple papilionaceous flowers and produces black pods resembling snap peas. Climbs using tendrils that coil around other plants and structures. Named 'karasu-no-endou' (crow's pea) because the pods turn black when ripe.

Shepherd's Purse🌼

Capsella bursa-pastoris

アブラナ科

One of the seven herbs of spring (nanakusa). A winter annual found along roadsides and in fields. Bears small white 4-petaled flowers and distinctive triangular seed pods (silicles). The Japanese nickname 'penpen-gusa' derives from the shape of the fruit.

Rapeseed🌼

Brassica napus

アブラナ科

A crop of European origin, important as the source of canola (rapeseed) oil. Produces bright yellow flowers in spring that blanket fields. Known in Japan as 'nanohana,' this introduced plant creates iconic spring landscapes along riverbanks and farmland.

Henbit Deadnettle🌿

Lamium amplexicaule

シソ科

A winter annual that forms dense colonies in fields and along roadsides in spring. Bears reddish-purple labiate (two-lipped) flowers. The Japanese name 'hotoke-no-za' (Buddha's seat) refers to the whorled leaves that resemble a lotus pedestal. Note: the 'hotokenoza' of the seven spring herbs refers to Lapsanastrum apogonoides, a different species.

Red Henbit🌿

Lamium purpureum

シソ科

An introduced annual from Europe, found along roadsides and in fields in spring. Resembles Lamium amplexicaule but can be distinguished by its triangular, wrinkled leaves and the upper leaves that are tinged reddish-purple.

Common Sorrel🌿

Rumex acetosa

タデ科

A perennial herb found in grasslands and along roadsides. The leaves have a strong sour taste, which gives the plant its Japanese name 'suiba' (sour leaf). Dioecious, with small reddish flowers borne in spike-like panicles.

Japanese Knotweed🌿

Reynoutria japonica

タデ科

A large, vigorous perennial herb found along roadsides and on disturbed land throughout Japan. Notorious as an invasive species abroad (Japanese knotweed). Young stems are sour and edible. Numerous small white flowers bloom in autumn.

Chickweed🌸

Stellaria media

ナデシコ科

One of the seven herbs of spring (hakobera). A small herb found along roadsides and in fields throughout the year. The white 5-petaled flowers are so deeply bifid that they appear to have 10 petals. Well known as bird feed.

Broadleaf Plantain

Plantago major

オオバコ科

A perennial herb highly tolerant of trampling, growing along roadsides and on compacted ground. Broad leaves spread in a basal rosette. Wind-pollinated, with numerous small flowers on slender spikes.

Bird's-eye Speedwell

Veronica persica

オオバコ科

An introduced annual from Europe. Produces small bright cobalt-blue flowers along roadsides and in fields in early spring -- an iconic sight of the season. After flowering, distinctive heart-shaped capsules develop.

Standing Violet💜

Viola grypoceras

スミレ科

The most commonly seen violet in Japan. A perennial herb that produces blue-violet flowers along roadsides and forest edges in early spring. Distinguished by its ascending stems and heart-shaped leaves.

Wood Sorrel

Oxalis corniculata

カタバミ科

A small perennial herb commonly found along roadsides and in gardens, with three heart-shaped leaflets. Tolerant of trampling and regenerates from roots even after weeding. Bears small yellow 5-petaled flowers. The leaves have a sour taste (due to oxalic acid) and were once chewed by children.

Pink Wood Sorrel

Oxalis corymbosa

カタバミ科

An introduced species from South America. Blooms pale pink to reddish-purple flowers from spring to summer. Slightly larger than O. corniculata, spreading via bulbils (small bulb-like structures). Often forms colonies along roadsides and in gardens.

Heartleaf Houttuynia

Houttuynia cordata

ドクダミ科

A perennial herb with a distinctive strong odor. Thrives in moist, shaded areas. The white cross-shaped structure (actually 4 bracts, with the true flowers in a central spike) is characteristic. Used medicinally and as food since ancient times, also known as 'juyaku' (ten-medicine herb).

Cattail🌾

Typha latifolia

ガマ科

A quintessential wetland plant. A large perennial that produces sausage-shaped brown flower spikes in summer. The upper portion is the male inflorescence and the lower portion is the female inflorescence. Featured in the Japanese myth of the White Rabbit of Inaba. The dispersal of cottony seeds is also distinctive.

Asian Skunk Cabbage🌿

Lysichiton camtschatcensis

サトイモ科

An iconic wetland plant of places like Oze Marshland. Opens large white spathes as the snow melts in spring. Celebrated in the famous Japanese song 'Natsu no Omoide' (Summer Memories). The leaves grow large, reaching nearly 1 m by summer.

London Plane🌳

Platanus × acerifolia

スズカケノキ科

A deciduous tall tree widely planted as a street tree throughout Japan. Distinguished by bark that peels in a camouflage-like pattern. A hybrid originating in Europe, commonly known in Japan as 'platanus' (London plane tree).

Konara Oak🌳

Quercus serrata

ブナ科

A representative deciduous tall tree of secondary woodlands. Produces acorns. Beautiful autumn foliage; along with Q. acutissima, it is a key component species of satoyama (traditional rural landscapes). Historically used for charcoal and firewood.

Sawtooth Oak🌳

Quercus acutissima

ブナ科

A representative deciduous tall tree of satoyama landscapes. Produces large acorns. Famous for its sap flow, which attracts rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles. Together with Q. serrata, it has been used for charcoal and firewood production.

Camphor Tree🌿

Cinnamomum camphora

クスノキ科

A large evergreen tree common at shrines and temples in western Japan. Has a distinctive aroma (camphor scent). Leaves feature three prominent veins (triplinerved). An exceptionally long-lived tree, with some specimens exceeding 1,000 years old.

Japanese Camellia🌺

Camellia japonica

ツバキ科

An evergreen small tree native to Japan. Blooms red, white, or pink flowers from winter to spring. The way flowers drop whole (rather than petal by petal) was historically considered an ill omen by samurai. Camellia oil is used as hair oil and cooking oil.

Sasanqua Camellia🌺

Camellia sasanqua

ツバキ科

An evergreen shrub similar to C. japonica but blooming in autumn to early winter. The key difference is that petals fall individually (unlike camellia, where the whole flower drops). Widely used for hedges and park plantings.

Kobushi Magnolia🌸

Magnolia kobus

モクレン科

A deciduous tall tree that blooms profusely with white flowers before the leaves emerge in spring. Flowers slightly earlier than Yoshino cherry. Flowers have 6 white tepals with a slightly reddish center. Native to mountain areas from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Japanese Red Pine🌲

Pinus densiflora

マツ科

An evergreen conifer widely distributed in the mountains and satoyama of Japan. Distinguished by its reddish bark, especially on the upper trunk. Forms a mycorrhizal association with matsutake mushrooms and is highly valued for bonsai.

Japanese Black Pine🌲

Pinus thunbergii

マツ科

An evergreen conifer commonly found along coastlines. Highly resistant to sea winds and salt spray, widely used for coastal windbreaks and bonsai. Characterized by its stiff, sharp needles that prick when touched.

Japanese Cedar🌲

Cryptomeria japonica

ヒノキ科

An evergreen conifer endemic to Japan. Dominates much of Japan's mountain forests and is well known as a major cause of hay fever (pollinosis). Its lightweight, easy-to-work timber is highly valued for construction and woodworking.

Ginkgo🍃

Ginkgo biloba

イチョウ科

A gymnosperm known as a 'living fossil.' One of the oldest surviving tree lineages, with Ginkgo biloba as the sole extant species in the family Ginkgoaceae. Famous for its fan-shaped leaves and brilliant golden autumn foliage. Widely planted as a street tree and as a sacred tree at shrines.

Japanese White Birch🌳

Betula platyphylla var. japonica

カバノキ科

A deciduous tall tree with distinctive white bark, representative of Hokkaido and highland areas. The beautiful white bark symbolizes highland landscapes. Leaves are rhombic to triangular with serrate margins. Turns yellow in autumn.

Hydrangea🌸

Hydrangea macrophylla

アジサイ科

The quintessential flowering shrub of the rainy season (tsuyu). Native to Japan, the flower color changes from blue to reddish-purple depending on soil pH. What appear to be flowers are mostly sterile decorative florets (enlarged sepals); the true flowers are the small ones in the center.

Japanese Zelkova

Zelkova serrata

ニレ科

One of Japan's most representative deciduous tall trees. Grows into a large tree with an elegant form, making it one of the most widely used species for parks and street plantings. Beautiful autumn foliage. The timber is hard and durable, traditionally used in fine architectural construction.

Japanese Morning Glory🌸

Ipomoea nil

ヒルガオ科

An annual vine native to tropical Asia, beloved in Japan since the Edo period. Flowers open in the morning and close by midday. The funnel-shaped flowers come in blue, purple, red, white, and other colors. A staple plant for elementary school science classes in Japan.

Field Horsetail🌿

Equisetum arvense

トクサ科

A pteridophyte (fern ally) found in fields and along roadsides. In spring, the fertile stems (tsukushi/horsetail spore cones) emerge first, followed by the vegetative stems (sugina). A surviving member of the horsetail lineage that flourished in the Carboniferous Period. Spreads via rhizomes and is difficult to eradicate.

Japanese Royal Fern🌿

Osmunda japonica

ゼンマイ科

A fern growing on moist slopes and waterside areas in mountain regions. The young fiddleheads (zenmai) that emerge in spring are a well-known edible wild vegetable. The vegetative fronds (trophophylls) and fertile fronds (sporophylls) are separate, with the fertile fronds turning conspicuous brown.

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris

コウヤワラビ科

A large fern that grows in colonies along moist forest edges and stream valleys in mountain areas. The young fiddleheads (kogomi) that emerge in spring are a popular edible wild vegetable with little bitterness, enjoyed simply blanched. Sterile fronds spread in a vase-like shape, sometimes exceeding 1 m. In autumn, distinctive fertile fronds with bead-like rolled pinnae emerge upright from the center.

Japanese Maple🍁

Acer palmatum

ムクロジ科

A deciduous small tree that epitomizes autumn in Japan. Characterized by palmately 5-7 lobed leaves that turn brilliant red, orange, and yellow in autumn. Widely found in gardens, parks, and mountains, with numerous cultivars. The name reportedly derives from a children's game of counting leaf lobes with the old Japanese alphabet 'i-ro-ha-ni-ho-he-to.'

Trident Maple🍁

Acer buergerianum

ムクロジ科

A deciduous tall tree native to China, widely planted in Japan as a street and park tree. Distinguished by its 3-lobed (trident-shaped) leaves, making it easy to tell apart from other maples. Turns orange to red in autumn; bark is grayish-brown and peels slightly in scales.

Flowering Dogwood🌸

Cornus florida

ミズキ科

A deciduous small tree native to North America. It became widespread in Japan after being gifted in return for cherry trees sent by Tokyo's mayor to Washington, D.C. in 1912. Around April, four large petal-like bracts (white to pink) open before the leaves emerge. It also displays beautiful autumn foliage and red berries.

Weeping Willow🌿

Salix babylonica

ヤナギ科

A deciduous tall tree native to China, characterized by its long, pendulous branches. Commonly planted along waterways and riverbanks, it produces yellow-green leaves and catkins in spring. Cottony seeds called willow fluff are released in large quantities in early summer. It was introduced to Japan before the Nara period.

Japanese Chestnut🌳

Castanea crenata

ブナ科

A deciduous tall tree native to Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The spiny bur-enclosed nuts, which ripen in autumn, have been eaten since the Jomon period. The male catkins appear in early summer as white spike-like clusters with a distinctive odor. It is one of the most representative edible trees of the satoyama landscape.

Japanese Cypress🌲

Chamaecyparis obtusa

ヒノキ科

An evergreen conifer endemic to Japan. Its timber has a natural luster and pleasant fragrance, and is prized as a premium building material for shrines, temples, and bathtubs. Along with Japanese cedar, it is one of Japan's major plantation species and a common cause of hay fever. The undersides of the leaves bear distinctive Y-shaped white stomatal bands.

Red Spider Lily🌺

Lycoris radiata

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial that blooms en masse with vivid red flowers around the autumn equinox. It is a "leaf unseen, flower unseen" plant: the leaves are absent during flowering and emerge only after the flowers fade. It grows in dense colonies on paddy field embankments, cemeteries, and satoyama areas. The entire plant is toxic (containing lycorine and other alkaloids). It was historically planted around rice paddies to repel moles and rodents.

Wild Chive🌺

Allium macrostemon

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial found along roadsides and in grasslands. It has a small underground bulb, and both the leaves and bulb are edible. When young leaves are broken in spring, they release an onion-like fragrance. White florets and bulbils appear at the tip of the flower stalk.

Asiatic Dayflower💧

Commelina communis

ツユクサ科

An annual that produces vivid blue flowers from summer to autumn. The flowers are ephemeral, opening in the morning and closing by midday. The stems creep along the ground, rooting at the nodes. It has two prominent blue petals and one small white petal. Historically called "moon grass" (tsukikusa) in Japan, its blue sap was used to dye fabrics.

Manchurian Violet💜

Viola mandshurica

スミレ科

A small perennial that blooms with purple flowers in spring. Commonly found along sunny roadsides and in grasslands. The violet genus includes about 50–60 species in Japan and is notoriously difficult to identify. The flowers have a spur that stores nectar. In addition to open flowers in spring, the plant also produces cleistogamous (self-pollinating) flowers that set fruit underground from summer to autumn.

Japanese Thistle🌼

Cirsium japonicum

キク科

The most representative native thistle of Japan. A perennial that produces spiny reddish-purple flower heads from spring to early summer. The leaves and involucral bracts bear sharp spines. Widely distributed in meadows, embankments, and roadsides, it is frequently visited by butterflies and bees for nectar.

Japanese Butterbur🌼

Petasites japonicus

キク科

A perennial native to Japan. In early spring, the flower buds (fuki-no-to) emerge from the ground before the leaves appear. The large, lotus-shaped leaves have edible petioles (fuki). It spreads via rhizomes to form colonies. The plant is dioecious, and fuki-no-to is the young flowering stalk.

Hairy Beggarticks🌼

Bidens pilosa

キク科

An annual known as a "hitchhiker weed" for its fruits that cling to trousers and socks in autumn. Originally from tropical America, it is a naturalized species. Forms with conspicuous white ray florets are called Shiro-no-sendangusa, while those with few or no ray florets are Kosendangusa. The achenes have 2–4 barbed awns that attach to clothing and animal fur.

Mock Strawberry🌸

Potentilla indica

バラ科

A perennial that produces yellow five-petaled flowers from spring to early summer, followed by red strawberry-like fruits. The fruits are nearly tasteless and harmless but not palatable. It spreads via runners (stolons). True strawberries (Fragaria) have white flowers. The Japanese name means "snake strawberry," either because it grows in places frequented by snakes or from a folk belief that it was a poisonous lure used by snakes.

Cogon Grass🌾

Imperata cylindrica

イネ科

A grass family perennial that forms dense colonies in sunny grasslands, embankments, and wastelands. In spring, it produces white silky plumes that color the landscape. It has vigorous rhizomes, making it a persistent and hard-to-eradicate weed. The young inflorescences have a sweet taste and were traditionally eaten as a children's snack.

Japanese Jumpseed🌿

Persicaria filiformis

タデ科

A perennial found at forest edges and along mountain trails. The small red flowers arranged in a line along slender stalks resemble mizuhiki (decorative cords on Japanese gift envelopes), hence the name. Viewed from above the flowers appear red, and from below they appear white.

Thunberg's Geranium

Geranium thunbergii

フウロソウ科

A perennial that produces white to pale pink flowers from summer to autumn. It is one of the three most important folk medicines in Japan, used as an antidiarrheal and digestive remedy; its name means "present proof" (i.e., it works immediately). When ripe, the fruits explosively curl back to catapult the seeds (ballistic dispersal). White-flowered forms tend to be more common in western Japan, and pale purple forms in eastern Japan.

Dogtooth Violet🌷

Erythronium japonicum

ユリ科

A perennial that blooms on the forest floor in spring and is a quintessential spring ephemeral. It takes 7–9 years from seed to first flowering. The flower nods downward with tepals strongly recurved in a distinctive form. The aboveground parts die back in early summer, and the plant spends summer through the following spring underground. Starch from the roots was the original source of katakuriko (now mostly produced from potato starch).

Balloon Flower🌸

Platycodon grandiflorus

キキョウ科

One of the Seven Flowers of Autumn. A perennial that produces blue-purple star-shaped flowers from summer to early autumn. The buds are inflated and balloon-like (hence the English name Balloon Flower). Populations have declined in the wild, and the species is listed as Near Threatened in some regions. The root (kikyo root) is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is also edible.

Japanese Parsley🌿

Oenanthe javanica

セリ科

One of the Seven Herbs of Spring. A perennial that grows along paddy field ridges and waterside areas, with aromatic leaves and stems that are edible. It bears small white flowers in compound umbels. The plant spreads by stolons, rooting at the nodes. It is the "seri" used in the traditional seven-herb rice porridge (nanakusa-gayu).

Lily Turf🌿

Liriope muscari

キジカクシ科

An evergreen perennial widely used as a ground cover in shady areas of gardens and parks. It produces pale purple to purple florets in spike-like racemes from summer to early autumn, followed by glossy black spherical fruits in autumn to winter. Highly shade- and drought-tolerant, making it easy to maintain. Variegated cultivars are commonly planted in gardens.

Persian Silk Tree🌿

Albizia julibrissin

マメ科

A deciduous tall tree that produces fluffy pale pink flowers (clusters of stamens) in summer. It is notable for its nyctinastic leaf movement: the leaflets fold together at night, giving it the Japanese name "sleeping tree." Found along riverbeds, in parks, and by roadsides. As a legume, it harbors nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules.

Brake Fern

Pteris multifida

イノモトソウ科

An evergreen fern growing along roadsides, stone walls, and around wells. Sori are arranged in continuous marginal bands along the edges of the pinnately compound fronds. Pteridaceae is one of the largest fern families in the world, with great morphological diversity.

Chrysanthemum Anemone🌸

Anemone pseudoaltaica

キンポウゲ科

A perennial that blooms in early spring in deciduous forests. A spring ephemeral with striking large petal-like sepals in white to pale purple. Many members of the buttercup family have reduced petals, with the sepals developing into showy petal-like structures.

Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides

アカネ科

An evergreen shrub that produces fragrant white flowers in early summer. The fruits turn yellow-orange when ripe but remain indehiscent (they do not split open), hence the Japanese name kuchinashi ("no mouth"). The fruits are used as a dye and in traditional medicine. Widely planted as a garden shrub, known for its intensely sweet fragrance.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

スイカズラ科

A climbing evergreen shrub found at forest edges and roadsides. The flowers open white and gradually turn yellow, giving rise to the Chinese name "gold-and-silver flower." The Japanese name means "sucking nectar" as children traditionally sipped the sweet nectar from the flowers. The flowers are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Stonecrop

Sedum japonicum

ベンケイソウ科

A small succulent plant growing on rocky surfaces, stone walls, and rooftops. It stores water in its fleshy leaves and thrives even in dry conditions. It produces numerous small yellow flowers.

Eggplant🌿

Solanum melongena

ナス科

An annual (in Japan) native to India and one of the most important summer vegetables. The purple fruit is an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It appears in the Japanese proverb "Don't let your daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplant" (interpreted as either too delicious to share or too cold-natured for expectant mothers).

Verbena

Verbena × hybrida

クマツヅラ科

An ornamental plant widely used in flower beds and street plantings. Small flowers bloom in dense clusters in a wide range of colors including red, pink, purple, and white. It flowers over a long period from spring to autumn.

Greater Celandine

Chelidonium majus

ケシ科

A naturalized plant of European origin found along roadsides and stone walls. When the stem is broken, it exudes bright orange-yellow latex. It produces small flowers with four yellow petals and elongated capsular fruits containing many seeds.

White Mulberry

Morus alba

クワ科

A deciduous tall tree native to China, introduced to Japan long ago as feed for silkworms. The sweet-sour, dark purple multiple fruits are edible and widely known as mulberries.

Common Rush

Juncus effusus var. decipiens

イグサ科

A perennial growing in rice paddies and wetlands. The cylindrical stems contain a spongy pith and have been used to make tatami mat coverings, rush mats, and woven baskets. It is an essential plant underlying Japan's tatami culture.

Grape

Vitis vinifera

ブドウ科

A deciduous climbing shrub native to western Asia. The fruit is consumed fresh, as wine, and as juice, making it one of the world's most important fruit crops. In Japan, traditional cultivars such as Koshu grape are also grown.

Japanese Iris

Iris ensata var. ensata

アヤメ科

A Japanese native perennial that adorns waterside and wetland areas in early summer. Extensively bred as ornamental iris since the Edo period, with thousands of cultivars in existence. The falls have a yellow signal line at the base.

Pipewort

Eriocaulon cinereum

ホシクサ科

A small annual growing in rice paddies and wetlands. In autumn, it produces white, cottony button-like flower heads on slender stalks. Populations have declined in recent years due to paddy field drainage and conversion.

Chinaberry

Melia azedarach

センダン科

A deciduous tall tree growing near coasts and in urban areas of warm western Japan. It produces numerous pale purple flowers in early summer, and yellow drupes persist on the branches into autumn. The fruits are toxic to mammals but are eaten by birds.

Adder's Tongue Fern

Ophioglossum vulgatum

ハナヤスリ科

A small fern growing in grasslands and on forest floors. It has a unique form consisting of a single ovate sterile frond and one erect spike-like fertile frond. Ophioglossaceae is one of the most ancient fern lineages.

Bristle Fern

Microlepia strigosa

ヒメウラボシ科

A large fern growing on the forest floor and cliff faces in warm regions. The fronds are bi- to tripinnate and densely hairy throughout. Sori are located near the leaf margins, enclosed in cup-shaped indusia.

Japanese Lacquer Tree🍂

Toxicodendron vernicifluum

ウルシ科

A deciduous tall tree native to Japan and China. Its sap (lacquer) has been used as the raw material for lacquerware for thousands of years. It contains urushiol, a potent allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.

Hardy Begonia

Begonia grandis subsp. evansiana

シュウカイドウ科

A perennial native to China and Southeast Asia that has naturalized throughout Japan. It produces pale pink flowers from summer to autumn. The asymmetrical leaves are a hallmark of the genus Begonia.

Squirrel's Foot Fern

Davallia mariesii

シノブ科

An evergreen epiphytic fern that grows on rocks and tree trunks. The rhizome is covered with fine hairs and is used to make "shinobu-dama" (hanging moss ball ornaments) for summer display. It curls up when dry and revives when watered, demonstrating remarkable desiccation tolerance.

Japanese Witch Hazel

Hamamelis japonica

マンサク科

A deciduous shrub to small tree that is among the first to bloom in early spring with yellow flowers. The name derives from "manzu saku" meaning "the first to bloom." The petals are distinctively long and ribbon-shaped.

Diapensia

Diapensia lapponica var. obovata

イワウメ科

An evergreen dwarf shrub growing on alpine rocky outcrops and gravel slopes. It produces dense clusters of small white flowers, and the small leaves are tightly packed. It is a cushion plant distributed in alpine and arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Climbing Fern

Lomariopsis japonica

ナナバケシダ科

An epiphytic and creeping fern found in forests of the Nansei Islands and southern Kyushu. It extends slender stems along rocks and tree trunks. The pinnately compound fronds are distinctive.

Touch-me-not

Impatiens textorii

ツリフネソウ科

An annual growing along mountain streams and in moist forest edges from summer to autumn. The reddish-purple flowers hang down like hanging boats, giving the plant its distinctive appearance. When the ripe fruits are touched, they explosively eject their seeds.

Buddhist Pine

Podocarpus macrophyllus

マキ科

An evergreen tall tree native to warm regions of Japan. Although a conifer with linear leaves, it does not produce typical cones; instead, seeds develop on a fleshy receptacle (red to purple) in a distinctive fruiting structure. Widely used as a hedge and garden tree.

Silver Vine

Actinidia polygama

マタタビ科

A deciduous woody climber found at forest edges in mountain areas. In summer, the tips of some leaves turn white (leaf bleaching), a highly conspicuous feature. The fruit is edible and medicinal, and is famously attractive to cats due to the compounds it contains.

Japanese Persimmon

Diospyros kaki

カキノキ科

A deciduous tall tree native to Japan and China, and one of the most iconic autumn fruit trees. The large orange fruits are enjoyed fresh and as dried persimmon (hoshigaki), and the tree is widely cultivated in farmyards and satoyama landscapes.

Sugar Apple

Annona squamosa

バンレイシ科

A deciduous to semi-evergreen small tree native to tropical America. It is cultivated in Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands for its sweet fruit. The green, scale-textured fruit is also known as "sugar apple" or "custard apple."

Canna

Canna × generalis

カンナ科

A perennial of tropical American origin, widely planted in parks and flower beds. It is characterized by large leaves and showy flowers in red, orange, yellow, and other vivid colors. The rhizome contains a large amount of starch.

New Zealand Spinach

Tetragonia tetragonoides

ツルナ科

A perennial (overwintering annual in Japan) found on coastal sandy ground. The fleshy leaves are edible and were used as a substitute for spinach. Also known as New Zealand spinach.

Meliosma

Meliosma rigida

アワブキ科

An evergreen small tree growing in forests of warm regions. The name means "foam-blowing tree" because bubbles emerge when branches are broken, due to saponin content. It produces dense panicles of small white flowers.

Monochoria

Monochoria korsakowii

ミズアオイ科

An annual herb growing in rice paddies and ponds. It produces beautiful blue-purple flowers in summer. Once commonly seen as a weed in rice paddies, it has drastically declined in recent years due to herbicide use.

Icacina

Gomphandra tetrandra

クロタキカズラ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree found in forests of the Nansei Islands (Yaeyama Islands, etc.). Icacinaceae is primarily distributed in the tropics, with a few species occurring in the Nansei Islands of Japan.

Climbing Fern

Lygodium japonicum

カニクサ科

A distinctive climbing fern that twines around other plants in grasslands and forest edges. It has the unusual morphology of an indeterminately growing rachis that functions as a vine.

Japanese Bayberry

Morella rubra

ヤマモモ科

An evergreen tall tree native to warm regions of western Japan. It bears red, spherical fruits in early summer that are sweet-sour and used fresh, in liquor, and in jams. Also planted as a street and park tree.

Stemona

Stemona japonica

ビャクブ科

A climbing perennial herb of mountain forest edges and grasslands. Its slender stems twine around other plants. The fusiform tuberous roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine as 'Baibu' (Stemonae Radix), serving as an antitussive and insecticide.

Lopseed

Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica

ハエドクソウ科

A perennial herb growing in mountain forest edges and understory. Fruits are dispersed by hooking onto animals or clothing via hooked calyx lobes. The roots and leaves contain insecticidal compounds that kill flies, which is the origin of its Japanese name ('fly-poison herb').

Acerola

Malpighia emarginata

キントラノオ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree native to the West Indies. Known for its red fruits with exceptionally high vitamin C content; cultivated in Okinawa. Bears charming small pink flowers.

Wintersweet

Chimonanthus praecox

ロウバイ科

A deciduous shrub native to China. In midwinter, it blooms with waxy yellow flowers on bare branches, emitting a strong sweet fragrance. Famous as a winter-flowering plant in parks and gardens.

Sesame

Sesamum indicum

ゴマ科

An annual herb native to Africa. Its seeds are an important oilseed crop used worldwide as cooking oil and a seasoning. Produces capsules following white to pale purple tubular flowers.

Sandalwood

Santalum album

ビャクダン科

A hemiparasitic evergreen small tree native to India. Its fragrant sandalwood timber and essential oil have long been prized for perfumery, Buddhist implements, and incense. Introduced to Japan along with Buddhist culture.

Sweet Flag

Acorus calamus

ショウブ科

A perennial herb growing along ponds and marshes. Famous for its use in 'Shobu-yu' (sweet flag baths) during the Boys' Day festival on May 5th. The leaves are aromatic. It is distinct from Iris (Hanashobu), belonging to a different family.

Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae

ゴクラクチョウカ科

A perennial herb native to South Africa. Its distinctive flowers, with orange and blue coloring likened to a bird of paradise, are distributed worldwide as cut flowers and grown as potted plants in Japan.

Cape Pondweed

Aponogeton distachyos

レースソウ科

An aquatic perennial native to South Africa. Cultivated ornamentally in ponds and aquariums. It floats leaves on the water surface and produces white flowers. Naturalized occurrences have been reported in Japan.

Poisonous Elder

Coriaria japonica

ドクウツギ科

A deciduous shrub endemic to Japan and one of Japan's three most poisonous plants. The glossy black ripe fruits appear sweet but contain coriamyrtin, a potent toxin that can be fatal if ingested.

Tree Fern

Dicksonia antarctica

ジクソニア科

A tree fern native to Australia. Cultivated as an ornamental in greenhouses and parks in Japan. Its crown of large pinnate fronds atop a trunk evokes a prehistoric atmosphere.

Blazing Star

Loasa tricolor

ロアサ科

An annual herb native to South America. Its stinging hairs irritate the skin upon contact (similar to nettle), but the flowers are beautiful with a mix of white, red, and yellow. Rarely cultivated as an ornamental.

Liane Sandpaper

Tetracera scandens

ビワモドキ科

A woody climber distributed in tropical Asia. Some species occur naturally in Okinawa, Japan. The leaves have a sandpaper-like rough texture. Bears white flowers.

Mitrastemon

Mitrastemon yamamotoi

ヤッコソウ科

A highly unusual holoparasitic plant that parasitizes the roots of evergreen oaks (Quercus/Castanopsis). Lacking chlorophyll, the entire plant is white to pale reddish. An endemic variety occurs in Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Nansei Islands.

Lobster Claw

Heliconia psittacorum

ヘリコニア科

A perennial herb native to tropical America. Known for its distinctive inflorescence of overlapping red to orange boat-shaped bracts, it is a famous tropical flower widely traded as cut flowers and foliage plants in Japan.

Ribbon Fern

Plagiogyria japonica

スジヒトツバ科

A fern growing on moist mountain forest floors. The fertile fronds are narrower than the sterile ones and stand erect, likened to the tail feathers of a pheasant ('Kiji'). It possesses a distinctive morphology belonging to an ancient lineage.

Cardiopteris

Cardiopteris quinqueloba

ヤマイモモドキ科

A woody climber distributed in Southeast and South Asia. Native to Okinawa in Japan. It bears small flowers and winged fruits. A very small family with limited distribution in Japan.

Giant Rhubarb

Gunnera manicata

グンネラ科

A perennial herb native to Brazil and one of the largest-leaved herbaceous plants in the world, with leaf blades sometimes exceeding 3 m in diameter. Cultivated ornamentally in botanical gardens and parks in Japan.

Japanese Umbrella Pine🌲

Sciadopitys verticillata

コウヤマキ科

An evergreen tall tree endemic to Japan. Linear leaves are whorled at branch tips, creating a distinctive umbrella-like crown shape. Common around Mount Koya, its water-resistant timber has traditionally been used for boats and tubs.

Yellow-eyed Grass

Xyris pauciflora

トウエンソウ科

A small perennial herb growing in wetlands of southern Kyushu and the Nansei Islands. Flower scapes emerge from tufts of narrow leaves, bearing small yellow flowers at the tip. It has become rare due to wetland loss.

Cunonia

Cunonia capensis

クノニア科

An evergreen small tree native to South Africa. Its attractive white spicate inflorescences make it an ornamental tree planted in gardens and parks in warm regions. Rarely established in Japan.

Antarctic Beech

Nothofagus antarctica

ナンキョクブナ科

A deciduous tall tree native to the southernmost tip of South America (Patagonia). A representative species of the genus Nothofagus, disjunctly distributed across the Southern Hemisphere due to the breakup of Gondwana. Cultivated in botanical gardens in Japan.

Scheuchzeria

Scheuchzeria palustris

ホロムイソウ科

A perennial herb growing in peat bogs (Sphagnum mires) of the boreal to subarctic zones of the Northern Hemisphere. A rare species in Japan, found in raised bogs of Hokkaido and central to northern Honshu.

Moringa / Drumstick Tree

Moringa oleifera

ワサビノキ科

A deciduous tall tree native to India. Known as the 'miracle tree' because its leaves, seeds, and pods are all edible and medicinal. Cultivation is expanding in Okinawa and other parts of Japan.

Eucommia / Hardy Rubber Tree

Eucommia ulmoides

トチュウ科

A deciduous tall tree native to China. The bark, leaves, and fruits contain gutta-percha (a natural rubber-like substance); tearing a leaf reveals white elastic threads. Used in traditional Chinese medicine as 'Du Zhong' tea, a popular health beverage.

Umbrella Sedge

Cyperus microiria

カヤツリグサ科

A common annual herb found throughout Japan in moist wastelands and waterside areas. From summer to autumn, it produces radiating branch-like spikelets at the stem apex. The triangular stem cross-section is a characteristic diagnostic feature of the sedge family.

Wishbone Flower

Torenia fournieri

ゴマノハグサ科

An annual herb native to Southeast Asia, widely cultivated in Japan as a summer bedding plant. It produces bilabiate flowers in purple, white, pink, and other colors from summer through autumn. Valued in gardens and parks for its shade tolerance.

Bracken Fern

Pteridium aquilinum

ワラビ科

A fern widely distributed across mountain fields throughout Japan. The young spring fiddleheads ('warabi') are a beloved edible wild plant and a quintessential mountain vegetable. Starch extracted from the rhizome is used to make warabi-mochi (bracken starch cakes).

Lady Fern

Athyrium niponicum

メシダ科

A common fern found in moist mountain forests and understory throughout Japan. Bipinnately compound fronds are soft and bright green. It resembles bracken fern but is inedible, hence the name 'Inu-warabi' ('useless bracken').

Marsh Fern

Thelypteris palustris

ヒメシダ科

A fern growing in wetlands and waterside areas across Japan. It forms colonies by extending slender creeping rhizomes. Fronds are bipinnately shallowly lobed and bright yellow-green. Known as an indicator species of wetland ecosystems.

Japanese Gentian🌸

Gentiana scabra var. buergeri

リンドウ科

A perennial herb native to Japanese mountain meadows and a quintessential autumn wildflower. It bears several blue-purple bell-shaped flowers at the stem apex, opening only on sunny days, earning it the nickname 'fair-weather flower.' The root is used as the herbal medicine 'Ryutan' (Gentianae Radix), a stomachic.

Filmy Fern

Crepidomanes minutum

コケシノブ科

A tiny epiphytic fern growing on rocks and tree trunks in warm, humid forests of Japan. Its fronds are only one cell layer thick and translucent, resembling moss—hence the Japanese name. It can survive only in environments with very high humidity.

Japanese Aralia

Fatsia japonica

ウコギ科

An evergreen shrub native to coastal forests in warm regions of Japan, widely cultivated nationwide as a garden plant. Characterized by large palmate leaves (20–40 cm across). In late autumn, it produces spherical umbels of small white flowers.

Maidenhair Spleenwort

Asplenium trichomanes

チャセンシダ科

A fern growing in crevices of rock walls and stone walls in mountain areas across Japan. Named for its narrow fronds spreading radially like a 'chasen' (bamboo tea whisk). Evergreen, growing in rock crevices.

Burning Bush

Euonymus alatus

ニシキギ科

A deciduous shrub native to mountains throughout Japan. Its most distinctive feature is the corky, wing-like ridges on the branches. Named 'Nishikigi' ('brocade tree') for its exceptionally vivid red autumn foliage, it is highly popular as a garden plant.

Summer Cypress

Bassia scoparia

ヒユ科

An annual herb native to Eurasia, known in Japan as 'Kochia' and popular as an ornamental for its beautiful autumn coloring. Named 'Houkigi' ('broom plant') because it was once dried and used as a broom. Its seeds ('tonburi') are eaten as 'land caviar.'

Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum capillus-veneris

ホウライシダ科

A tropical to subtropical fern, native in the Nansei Islands, Shikoku, and Kyushu in Japan, and widely cultivated as a houseplant. Known by its genus name Adiantum, it is admired for its delicate beauty—fine dark stipes and fan-shaped pinnules.

Greenbrier

Smilax china

サルトリイバラ科

A deciduous climbing shrub commonly found at forest edges on hills and mountains throughout Japan. Its thorns are said to snag even monkeys, hence the name. In western Japan, the leaves are used to wrap kashiwa-mochi (rice cakes) instead of oak leaves. The red berries in autumn are decorative.

Winter Daphne

Daphne odora

ジンチョウゲ科

An evergreen shrub native to China, long cultivated as a garden plant in Japan. In early spring, it produces clusters of small flowers with an intensely sweet fragrance at the branch tips. The Japanese name 'Jinchoge' refers to a scent combining agarwood (jinko) and clove (choji).

Pondweed

Potamogeton distinctus

ヒルムシロ科

A perennial aquatic herb growing in rice paddies and ponds throughout Japan. It has two leaf types: ovate floating leaves on the water surface and linear submerged leaves. Wind-pollinated spicate inflorescences emerge above the water surface.

Purple Loosestrife

Lythrum anceps

ミソハギ科

A perennial herb growing in wetlands and rice paddy levees throughout Japan. It produces reddish-purple small flowers in spikes during summer. Traditionally offered as a Buddhist flower during the Obon festival, it is also called 'Bon-bana' (Obon flower) or 'Shoryo-bana' (spirit flower).

Japanese Yew

Taxus cuspidata

イチイ科

An evergreen conifer native to Japanese mountains, distributed from Hokkaido to the subalpine zone of Honshu. Distinguished by red arils (edible, but the seeds are toxic). Long-lived, its name derives from its wood being used for 'ichii' (the highest court rank) scepters.

Prickly Pear Cactus🌵

Opuntia ficus-indica

サボテン科

A cactus native to Mexico, widely cultivated in Japan as an ornamental and garden plant; also naturalized on the Izu Islands and elsewhere. Flat, paddle-shaped stem segments (cladodes) link together, producing yellow flowers. The fruits are edible.

Rock Spikemoss

Selaginella tamariscina

イワヒバ科

A lycophyte (Lycopodiophyta, not a true fern) growing on dry rocks in Japanese mountains. Known as a 'resurrection plant'—its fronds curl up during drought and unfurl when rehydrated. Cultivated as bonsai and ornamental.

Japanese Banana

Musa basjoo

バショウ科

A large perennial herb native to southern China, introduced to Japan in ancient times and cultivated as a garden plant. The haiku poet Basho took his pen name from this plant. It has large banana-like leaves and is cold-hardy enough to be grown in gardens throughout Honshu.

Tree Fern

Cyathea spinulosa

ヘゴ科

A tree fern native to forests of southern Kyushu and Okinawa. Its erect trunk-like stem reaches 3–5 m tall, with large pinnate fronds spreading from the crown. It has a tropical atmosphere and is also found in parks and botanical gardens.

Four O'Clock Flower

Mirabilis jalapa

オシロイバナ科

A perennial herb native to South America (treated as an annual in Japan), naturalized along roadsides and vacant lots from summer to autumn. Its English name 'Four O'Clock' derives from its habit of opening flowers around 4 PM. The Japanese name 'Oshiroibana' (face-powder flower) comes from the white powdery endosperm inside the black seeds, once used as face powder.

Sand Broomrape

Aeginetia indica

ハマウツボ科

An annual holoparasitic plant found throughout Japan, parasitizing the roots of Miscanthus and other grasses. Lacking chlorophyll, it obtains all nutrients from its host. From summer to autumn, it sends up flower stalks directly from the soil, bearing reddish-purple flowers. It has been celebrated in Japanese poetry since the Man'yoshu anthology.

Japanese Snowbell

Styrax japonicus

エゴノキ科

A deciduous small tree native to mountains and hills throughout Japan. In May–June, it produces abundant white bell-shaped flowers hanging downward from branches, creating a stunning display. The name derives from the acrid taste ('egoi') of the fruit. The fruit rind contains ego-saponin and is toxic.

False Daphne

Daphniphyllum macropodum

ユズリハ科

An evergreen tall tree native to warm-temperate forests of Japan. The name 'Yuzuriha' (yielding leaf) comes from its habit of old leaves dropping as new ones emerge, symbolizing generational succession. It is used in New Year decorations as a good-luck tree representing family prosperity. Leaves are large, leathery, and glossy.

Japanese Walnut

Juglans mandshurica var. sachalinensis

クルミ科

A deciduous tall tree native to mountain valleys in Japan. The drupe has an extremely hard shell, and the kernel inside is edible. Leaves are large, odd-pinnately compound. It displays beautiful yellow autumn foliage and is the representative Juglans species of Japan.

Butterfly Bush

Buddleja japonica

マチン科

A deciduous shrub native to mountain valleys and rocky sites in Japan. In summer, it produces dense spikes of pale purple flowers. Commonly known as 'Butterfly Bush' for its strong attraction to butterflies. The related ornamental Buddleja species are widely cultivated.

Kibushi

Stachyurus praecox

キブシ科

A deciduous shrub native to mountain and hill forest edges in Japan. In early spring, before leaves emerge, pendulous racemes of small yellow flowers hang from branches. The elliptical green to yellowish-green fruits were historically used to make wax for candles.

Plum Yew

Cephalotaxus harringtonia

イヌガヤ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree native to mountain forests in Japan. Leaves are broader than those of Taxus and sharply pointed. It produces elliptical pseudo-fruits (arils) resembling those of yew, but inedible—hence the name 'Inugaya' (worthless torreya).

Sword Fern

Nephrolepis cordifolia

タマシダ科

A fern native to the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu, widely cultivated as an ornamental houseplant in warm regions. It produces numerous elegant, elongated arching fronds. The Japanese name refers to the spherical tubers ('tama' = ball) formed on its rhizomes.

Kandelia

Kandelia obovata

ヒルギ科

An evergreen shrub to tree found in estuarine tidal flats (mangrove forests) of southern Kyushu and Okinawa. Adapted to environments submerged at high tide, it extends numerous aerial prop roots from the base. It produces viviparous seeds that germinate while still attached to the parent tree.

Rangoon Creeper

Combretum indicum

シクンシ科

A woody climber native to Southeast Asia, found wild in the Ryukyu Islands and cultivated ornamentally in Okinawan gardens. The flowers open white and change to red or deep red—a distinctive trait. They emit a sweet fragrance at night.

Picrasma

Picrasma quassioides

ニガキ科

A deciduous tall tree native to Japanese mountains. The entire tree has an intensely bitter taste, giving rise to the name 'Nigaki' (bitter tree). The bark and wood are used in traditional medicine ('kuboku') as a stomachic, antipyretic, and detoxifying remedy. It bears red fruits in autumn.

Waterwort

Elatine triandra

ミゾハコベ科

A small annual herb growing in shallow waters of rice paddies and ponds throughout Japan. Stems are creeping or floating in water. Leaves are small, elliptical, and opposite. In summer, extremely small white to pale pink flowers appear in leaf axils.

Naupaka

Scaevola taccada

クサトベラ科

An evergreen shrub native to the coasts of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu. It grows at the forefront of sandy beaches and rocky shores, tolerating strong winds, saltwater, and intense sunlight. The flowers have a distinctive half-flower shape, with petals arranged on one side only.

Star Grass

Curculigo orchioides

キンバイザサ科

A perennial herb native to grasslands of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu. The linear leaves, resembling those of iris, emerge in basal tufts. Small yellow flowers appear near ground level from spring to summer. In traditional Chinese medicine, the rhizome is called 'xianmao' and used as a tonic.

Spiral Ginger

Costus speciosus

コスタス科

A perennial herb native to Southeast Asia, found wild at forest edges in the Ryukyu Islands and cultivated in greenhouses and gardens as an ornamental. Its most distinctive feature is the spiral arrangement of leaves along the stem, earning it the name 'Spiral Ginger.'

Chinese Tamarisk

Tamarix chinensis

ギョリュウ科

A deciduous shrub to small tree native to China and Central Asia, cultivated in Japan as a garden tree, windbreak, and bonsai. The fine scale-like leaves and soft drooping branches resemble pine foliage, giving rise to the Japanese name 'Gyoryu.' Pale pink small flowers appear in spikes from spring to summer.

Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

ニクズク科

An evergreen tall tree native to Indonesia, world-famous as the source of the spices nutmeg (seed) and mace (aril). In Japan, it can be seen in botanical gardens and greenhouses in Okinawa. Historically, this spice was so prized that it was traded at prices equal to gold.

Barringtonia

Barringtonia asiatica

サガリバナ科

An evergreen tall tree distributed along tropical coasts from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, found wild in coastal forests of Okinawa, Japan. It produces large white to pale pink flowers at night, emitting a sweet fragrance. The square, corky fruits are dispersed by ocean currents.

Mignonette

Reseda odorata

モクセイソウ科

An annual or biennial native to the Mediterranean coast, occasionally cultivated ornamentally in Japan. The small pale yellowish-green flowers have an exceptionally strong fragrance and have been historically valued as a perfume ingredient. Its French name 'Reseda' means 'little darling.'

Water Shield

Brasenia schreberi

ジュンサイ科

A perennial aquatic plant growing in lakes and ponds throughout Japan. Characterized by small elliptical floating leaves and a gelatinous mucilage covering the stems and young leaves. The young shoots are a prized delicacy traded as 'junsai,' used in salads and clear soups.

Water Clover

Marsilea quadrifolia

デンジソウ科

A fern found in rice paddies and wetlands throughout Japan. Its distinctive four leaflets arranged like a four-leaf clover are characteristic. Traditionally a symbolic plant of paddy fields, it has declined sharply due to widespread herbicide use and is designated as endangered in many regions.

Aloe

Aloe vera

ツルボラン科

A succulent plant native to Africa, widely cultivated in Japanese home gardens and pots. The transparent gel inside the leaves (aloe vera gel) has long been used as a folk remedy for burns and skin irritation. In warm climates, it can overwinter outdoors.

Whisk Fern

Psilotum nudum

マツバラン科

A fern ally epiphytic on rocks and tree trunks in warm regions of Japan. It is among the simplest vascular plants, possessing neither true leaves nor roots (only a rhizome), consisting solely of green dichotomously branching stems. Called a 'living fossil' due to its resemblance to Paleozoic plants.

Chinese Ephedra

Ephedra sinica

マオウ科

A gymnosperm native to China and Central Asia, representative of the genus Ephedra. It has erect green jointed stems with leaves reduced to scales. It contains ephedrine, the source of the traditional medicine 'mahuang' used for colds and asthma. Cultivated in Japan for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

Papaya

Carica papaya

パパイア科

An evergreen small tree native to Central and South America, cultivated and naturalized in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands as a tropical and subtropical fruit tree. Large palmately lobed leaves cluster at the crown, and the trunk is hollow and soft. The fruit is sweet and rich in vitamin C.

Gleichenia Fern

Gleichenia japonica

ウラジロ科

A fern widely native to mountain and forest edges on the Pacific side of Japan. Named 'Urajiro' (white underside) for its white leaf undersurfaces. It has been a beloved plant since ancient times as an essential auspicious decoration for New Year shimenawa and kagami-mochi.

Centrolepis

Centrolepis banksii

ホソバノイグサ科

An extremely small wetland herb native to Australia and Southeast Asia, recorded very rarely in the Ryukyu Islands (Ogasawara Islands, etc.) of Japan. The flowers are extremely simplified, and the leaves are filiform.

Ruppia

Ruppia maritima

ホッスモ科

A submerged perennial aquatic plant growing in saline wetlands, brackish lakes, and intertidal zones in Japan. Stems are slender and thread-like, with extremely narrow linear leaves. Pollination occurs underwater or at the water surface. Distribution is localized nationwide and sensitive to environmental changes.

Balanophora

Balanophora japonica

ツチトリモチ科

A parasitic plant found in warm-temperate to subtropical forests of Japan. Completely lacking chlorophyll, it parasitizes tree roots for nutrients. In autumn, it pushes ovoid, reddish-orange inflorescences above the soil surface. Though resembling a fungus, it is a true angiosperm.

Flagellaria

Flagellaria indica

トウツルモドキ科

A climbing perennial herb native to Southeast Asia and Pacific islands, found wild in coastal forests of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. Leaf tips are modified into tendrils that grasp other plants. Stems are slender but tough with bamboo-like nodes, once used for basket weaving.

Jacob's Ladder

Polemonium caeruleum

ハナシノブ科

A perennial alpine plant endemic to Japan (Polemoniaceae is rare in Japan), growing in subalpine zones of Hokkaido and central Honshu. Numerous blue-purple small flowers bloom in clusters. The pinnate compound leaves resemble the fern Davallia (shinobu), giving rise to the Japanese name.

Lindsaea Fern

Lindsaea odorata

ホングウシダ科

A fern growing in moist forests of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu. It has a delicate appearance with small elongated fronds bearing fan-shaped pinnae arranged in two rows. The name derives from 'Hongu' (a place name in Kumano), reflecting its preference for warm, humid environments.

Roureopsis

Rourea minor

マメモドキ科

A climbing shrub distributed from Southeast Asia to Pacific islands, found wild in forests of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. Characterized by odd-pinnately compound leaves and dehiscent fruits that reveal seeds with red arils. Its distribution in Japan is very limited.

Dichapetalum

Dichapetalum gelonioides

カイナンボク科

A woody climber distributed in Southeast Asia, recorded very rarely in the Ryukyu Islands (around Iriomote Island) in Japan. Known for seeds containing fluoroacetic acid (a potent toxin), making it a taxonomically and ecologically intriguing family.

Curculigo

Curculigo capitulata

パナマソウ科

A perennial herb native to Southeast Asia, found wild in forests of the Ryukyu Islands and cultivated in greenhouses as an ornamental. Its striking clumping habit with large iris-like leaves is eye-catching. Classified near Arecales or Zingiberales, its phylogenetic placement remains debated even under the APG system.

Sphenoclea

Sphenoclea zeylanica

スフェノクレア科

An annual rice paddy weed native to tropical Asia and Africa, confirmed as naturalized in rice paddies of the Ryukyu Islands. It has erect stems with narrow leaves and dense spike-like inflorescences at the tips. Known worldwide as an invasive weed of tropical rice paddies.

Hardy Orchid🌸

Calanthe discolor

ラン科

A representative terrestrial orchid native to Japanese forest floors. In spring, it produces beautiful flowers with a striking contrast of brownish-purple and white. Long prized as an ornamental, wild populations have drastically declined due to overcollection.

Japanese Azalea🌸

Rhododendron kaempferi

ツツジ科

A deciduous shrub of Ericaceae widely native to mountains throughout Japan. In spring, it produces masses of vermilion-red flowers that paint mountain slopes red. It is one of the most widely distributed azalea species in Japan.

Sun Spurge

Euphorbia helioscopia

トウダイグサ科

An annual herb growing in fields and along roadsides. White milky latex exudes when the stem is cut. The upper leaves spread in a whorl-like arrangement with distinctive cyathia (cup-shaped inflorescences) at the center.

Stinging Nettle (Japanese)

Laportea bulbifera

イラクサ科

A perennial herb growing on moist forest floors of mountains. It forms bulbils in leaf axils for vegetative reproduction. Stems and leaves bear stinging hairs that cause intense pain and swelling on contact.

Birthwort

Aristolochia debilis

ウマノスズクサ科

A climbing perennial herb of meadows and roadsides. It bears distinctively shaped tubular flowers and is known as the larval food plant of the Chinese Windmill butterfly (Atrophaneura alcinous). The entire plant contains toxic aristolochic acid.

Japanese Primrose🌸

Primula sieboldii

サクラソウ科

A perennial herb growing in river floodplains and moist meadows. In spring, it produces pale pink to white flowers resembling cherry blossoms. A Japanese endemic species designated as the prefectural flower of Saitama. Once common on the Kanto Plain, it is now endangered.

Hairy Willowherb

Epilobium pyrricholophum

アカバナ科

A perennial herb growing in moist meadows and waterside areas. The name 'Akabana' (red plant) derives from the stems and leaves turning red in autumn. Pale pink 4-petaled flowers bloom from summer to autumn, and the long pod-like capsules release wind-dispersed seeds with white plumes when ripe.

Common St. John's Wort

Hypericum erectum

オトギリソウ科

A perennial herb of mountain meadows and forest edges. Yellow flowers bloom in summer. When held up to the light, the leaves reveal translucent oil glands and dark spots. Long known as a medicinal plant, the Japanese name 'Otogirisou' (brother-slaying herb) derives from a tragic legend.

Common Mallow🌺

Malva neglecta

アオイ科

An introduced annual to biennial from Europe, growing along roadsides and wastelands. Small pale purple flowers bloom successively from spring to autumn. The cheese-shaped schizocarp fruit is distinctive.

Japanese Snake Gourd

Trichosanthes cucumeroides

ウリ科

A climbing perennial herb of forest edges and thickets. In summer nights, it produces white lace-like flowers, and in autumn bears red, ball-shaped fruits. Starch was also historically extracted from the root.

Wild Iris

Iris ensata var. spontanea

アマ科

Linaceae is a family represented by flax (Linum usitatissimum). Flax is an annual cultivated since antiquity as a source of fiber and linseed oil, bearing blue-purple 5-petaled flowers in early summer.

Flax

Linum usitatissimum

アマ科

An annual cultivated since antiquity, globally important as the source of linen fiber and linseed oil. It bears blue-purple 5-petaled ephemeral flowers in early summer that open in the morning and fall by midday. Cultivated in Japan as a medicinal and oil crop.

Jujube

Ziziphus jujuba

クロウメモドキ科

A deciduous small tree native to China. The fruits have been valued for food and medicine since ancient times, and it is also planted as a garden tree in Japan. Elliptical fruits ripen red in autumn.

Guava

Psidium guajava

フトモモ科

An evergreen small tree native to tropical America. In Okinawa, it is called 'banshiru' and has become naturalized and commonly seen. It produces white flowers and aromatic round fruits. The numerous stamens characteristic of the Myrtaceae family are prominent.

Japanese Ginger

Zingiber mioga

ショウガ科

A plant native to Japan or long cultivated there, whose flower buds (hana-myoga) and leaf sheaths emerging from the rhizome are edible. From summer to autumn, flower spikes emerge from the base and produce pale yellow flowers.

European Mistletoe

Viscum album

ヤドリギ科

An evergreen hemiparasitic plant that parasitizes deciduous broadleaf trees such as Quercus serrata and Celtis sinensis. Spherical clumps attach to tree branches and grow. In winter, it bears translucent white to yellow berries, which are favored by thrushes that disperse the seeds.

Common Bladderwort

Utricularia australis

タヌキモ科

A carnivorous plant that floats in ponds and marshes. It extends filamentous organs with bladder traps into the water, lacking distinct roots and leaves, and captures small aquatic animals by suction. In summer, it raises yellow flower spikes above the water surface.

Canadian Pondweed

Elodea canadensis

トチカガミ科

A submerged aquatic plant native to North America, now naturalized in ponds and rivers throughout Japan. The whorled leaves are widely used as teaching material for photosynthesis experiments in school science classes.

Pineapple🍍

Ananas comosus

パイナップル科

A perennial herb native to South America and a globally important tropical fruit crop. In Japan, it is cultivated in Okinawa and Kagoshima, as well as in greenhouses. The leaf margins are serrate, and a large multiple fruit (syncarp) develops from the center.

Sacred Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera

スイレン科

A perennial aquatic plant growing in ponds and paddy fields. Deeply associated with Buddhism, it is commonly planted in temple ponds. Revered as a symbol of purity for blooming clean flowers from muddy water. Seeds have been known to germinate after thousands of years of dormancy.

Gooseberry

Ribes uva-crispa

スグリ科

A deciduous shrub native to Europe, cultivated and occasionally escaped in Hokkaido and highland areas of Japan. It bears small green to red fruits with strong acidity, used for jam and preserves. The related Ribes fasciculatum is native to Japan.

Arrowhead

Sagittaria trifolia

オモダカ科

A perennial herb growing in rice paddies and along waterways. Characterized by its distinctive arrowhead-shaped leaves, it is related to the Chinese arrowhead (Kuwai). White 3-petaled flowers bloom in summer. Although a troublesome rice paddy weed, its dignified leaf shape earned it the name 'Omodaka' (noble face).

Shoestring Fern

Vittaria flexuosa

シシラン科

A fern that grows epiphytically on rocks and bark of old trees in warm regions. The fronds are simple, ribbon-like, 1–2 cm wide and 30–60 cm long. Sori are arranged in linear rows near the leaf margins.

Sea Coast Eurya

Eurya emarginata

イソマツ科

A representative Japanese species of Plumbaginaceae is Limonium tetragonum. It is a perennial growing in coastal salt marshes, bearing numerous small purple flowers on slender stems. It possesses salt glands that excrete excess salts.

Gleichenia Fern

Dicranopteris pedata

コシダ科

A fern forming colonies on hillsides, forest edges, and roadsides in warm regions. The fronds repeatedly fork dichotomously to create large fan-shaped fronds. It thrives even in acidic and nutrient-poor soils, often dominating the understory of Cryptomeria plantations and eroded slopes.

Screw Pine

Pandanus boninensis

タコノキ科

An evergreen tall tree endemic to the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands. Named for its numerous aerial roots (stilt roots) extending from the trunk, resembling octopus legs. Leaves are long, rigid, and spirally arranged, and the plant produces pineapple-like aggregate fruits.

Elaeocarpus

Elaeocarpus sylvestris

ホルトノキ科

An evergreen tall tree growing in coastal forests of warm regions. It is distinctive for the red-colored senescent leaves interspersed among the evergreen foliage. White fringed flowers bloom in summer, followed by olive-like blue-purple fruits.

Round-leaved Sundew

Drosera rotundifolia

モウセンゴケ科

A carnivorous plant growing in bogs. Numerous red sticky tentacles on the leaf surface capture insects with mucilage and digest them for nutrient absorption. It is distributed from the bogs of Hokkaido to the alpine marshes of Kyushu.

Water Milfoil

Myriophyllum spicatum

アリノトウグサ科

A submerged aquatic plant growing in ponds and rivers. Finely pinnately dissected leaves spread beautifully in the water. Flower spikes emerge above the water surface for wind pollination. Well-known as an aquarium plant.

Ghost Plant

Monotropa uniflora

ヒナノシャクジョウ科

Monotropa uniflora, commonly known as Indian pipe, is actually classified in Ericaceae. As a representative of Burmanniaceae, Burmannia championii is presented here. It is a small mycoheterotrophic herb growing on the floor of tropical and warm-temperate forests, bearing small tubular flowers in pale purple to white.

Wild Sapodilla

Planchonella obovata

アカテツ科

An evergreen tall tree growing in coastal forests from Okinawa to southern Kyushu. The leaves are thick and glossy, and white latex exudes when the trunk or branches are wounded. It bears small white flowers and ellipsoid fruits that ripen to dark purple and are edible.

River Moss Plant

Cladopus nipponica

カワゴケソウ科

A highly specialized aquatic plant that clings to rock surfaces in fast-flowing streams. Its moss-like flat thallus adheres to rocks, growing submerged during high water and flowering when water levels drop. A Japanese endemic found in clear streams of Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Chugoku region.

Buckbean

Menyanthes trifoliata

ミツガシワ科

A perennial growing in northern bogs and ponds. Named 'mitsugashiwa' (three oaks) because the trifoliate leaves resemble oak leaves. In spring, it produces white star-shaped flowers with conspicuous fringed hairs on the inner surface of the petals.

Sago Palm🌴

Cycas revoluta

ソテツ科

A gymnosperm native to southern Kyushu and Okinawa. A 'living fossil' surviving from the age of dinosaurs. Pinnately compound leaves spiral at the top of a stout trunk. It is dioecious, producing male and female cones. The starch from the trunk was historically used as food.

Floating Fern

Salvinia natans

サンショウモ科

A floating aquatic fern found in ponds and rice paddies. Leaves occur in groups of three: two floating leaves and one submerged leaf bearing sporocarps. The floating leaf surface has fine papillae that repel water.

Giant Fern

Angiopteris lygodiifolia

リュウビンタイ科

A large fern growing on moist forest floors in Okinawa and Ogasawara. The fleshy stipules (auriculate stipules) at the base of the petiole are conspicuous. A single frond can reach 2–3 m in length, making it a giant fern known as a primitive eusporangiate fern.

Eelgrass

Zostera marina

アマモ科

A seagrass growing in shallow seas (tidal flats to several meters depth). Eelgrass beds, where photosynthetic vascular plants grow submerged in the sea, provide critical ecosystems as nursery grounds for juvenile fish and as carbon dioxide sinks.

Pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

ヤマゴボウ科

A large perennial herb native to North America, naturalized along roadsides and wastelands. Growing 1–2 m tall, it produces white flowers in summer and dark purple grape-like berries in autumn. All parts are poisonous, with especially strong toxicity in the roots and fruits.

Proteaceous Tree

Helicia cochinchinensis

ヤマモガシ科

An evergreen tall tree growing in evergreen forests of southern Kyushu and Okinawa. Proteaceae is a predominantly Southern Hemisphere family, with only this and a few other species native to Japan. Numerous pale yellow flowers are borne on elongated spicate inflorescences.

Hornwort

Ceratophyllum demersum

キンギョモ科

A submerged aquatic plant growing in ponds and rice paddies. It has no roots and grows drifting in the water. Whorled leaves with dichotomously forked, stiff linear segments are characteristic. Widely used as an aquarium plant (hornwort or goldfish weed).

Japanese Hop

Humulus japonicus

アサ科

A climbing annual herb growing along roadsides and riverbanks. Sharp prickles on the stems and leaves help it cling to and smother other plants, forming large colonies. It is dioecious, with female plants producing cone-like fruit clusters. It is in the same genus as hops, used in beer production.

Purple Pitcherplant

Sarracenia purpurea

サラセニア科

A carnivorous plant native to North America, cultivated mainly in greenhouses and biotopes in Japan. The leaves form tubular pitfall traps (pitcher traps) that capture insects with downward-pointing hairs and digestive fluids. Large reddish-purple flowers bloom in spring.

Horsetail She-oak

Casuarina equisetifolia

モクマオウ科

An evergreen tall tree growing on tropical and subtropical coasts, planted and naturalized in Okinawa. The leaves are reduced to scales, and slender green jointed branchlets (cladodes) perform photosynthesis, resembling Equisetum. Root nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria enable growth in nutrient-poor soils.

Malabar Spinach

Basella alba

ツルムラサキ科

A climbing annual herb native to Southeast Asia, cultivated as a vegetable in Japan. Heat-tolerant in summer, its succulent leaves are used in stir-fries and blanched dishes. Small pale pink to white flowers are borne in spicate inflorescences, and fruits ripen to dark purple.

Rafflesia

Rafflesia arnoldii

ラフレシア科

A parasitic plant endemic to Southeast Asia, famous for producing the world's largest flower (up to 1 m in diameter). Lacking leaves, stems, and roots, it parasitizes the tissues of its host vine (Tetrastigma, Vitaceae) in a fungus-like manner. It emits a carrion odor and is pollinated by beetles and flies.

Arrowgrass

Triglochin palustre

シバナ科

A perennial herb growing in salt marshes and inland wetlands. Characterized by slender, rod-shaped leaves and grass-like spicate inflorescences. Contains cyanogenic glycosides in the leaves and roots and is poisonous. Rarely found in the wetlands of Hokkaido, Japan.

Japanese Elderberry

Sambucus racemosa subsp. sieboldiana

レンプクソウ科

A deciduous shrub to small tree growing at forest margins and along valleys in mountains. Numerous small white flowers bloom in paniculate inflorescences in early spring, followed by clusters of small red berries ripening in early summer. Reclassified from Caprifoliaceae to Adoxaceae.

Olax

Olax imbricata

オラクス科

A shrub distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, native to Okinawa and the Nansei Islands in Japan. It is hemiparasitic, sending haustoria into the roots of other plants. It bears small white to pale yellow flowers.

Octopus Tree

Hernandia nymphaeifolia

ハスノハギリ科

An evergreen tall tree growing near coasts in the Ogasawara and Ryukyu Islands. Named for its large circular leaves resembling lotus leaves. It produces white flowers and distinctive fruits enclosed in balloon-like involucral bracts.

Coca Plant

Erythroxylum novogranatense

コカノキ科

Erythroxylaceae is best known for the coca plant of South America. It has virtually no wild occurrence in Japan and is known only in the context of pharmaceutical research. The leaves contain cocaine and other tropane alkaloids, and have been chewed as a stimulant in the Andes since ancient times.

Annatto

Bixa orellana

ベニノキ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree native to Central and South America. Natural dye (annatto pigment) is extracted from the reddish-orange aril surrounding the seeds. It produces large pink flowers resembling hibiscus. Rarely seen as a greenhouse plant in Japan.

Hanguana

Hanguana malayana

ハングアナ科

A monocot growing in tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Rarely seen in Japan as a cultivated plant in Okinawa and elsewhere. It spreads large leaves in a rosette and produces flower spikes directly from the stem. Hanguanaceae is a monogeneric family.

Flowering Rush

Butomus umbellatus

ハナイ科

A perennial aquatic plant native to Eurasia. Rarely confirmed as naturalized in Japan. It bears erect, triangular, slender leaves and produces an umbellate inflorescence atop a long flowering stalk in summer, with beautiful pale pink flowers having 6 tepals.

Gnetum

Gnetum gnemon

グネツム科

A gymnosperm growing in tropical forests of Southeast Asia. A unique gymnosperm with broad leaves resembling those of angiosperms and seeds covered by a fleshy sarcotesta. Seeds and young leaves are eaten in Southeast Asia. Rarely planted in Okinawa and Ogasawara in Japan.

Restio

Restio tetraphyllus

サンアソウ科

A monocot distributed mainly in South Africa (fynbos) and Australia. The leaves are reduced and green stems perform photosynthesis. In Japan, it is available to a limited extent as a garden plant but does not grow wild.

Panda Plant

Panda oleosa

パンダ科

A large evergreen tall tree growing in tropical rainforests of West Africa (Gabon and Cameroon). Pandaceae is a small family of about 3 genera with no native species in Japan. The fruits are edible and the seeds yield oil.

Welwitschia

Welwitschia mirabilis

ウェルウィッチア科

A 'living fossil' gymnosperm endemic to the Namib Desert. It produces only two leaves in its entire lifetime, which continue growing for years and become tattered. Individuals over 1,000–2,000 years old exist. A monotypic lineage (1 family, 1 genus, 1 species).

Albany Pitcherplant

Cephalotus follicularis

フクロユキノシタ科

A carnivorous plant native only to southwestern Australia. It has unique pitfall traps and simultaneously produces two types of leaves: ordinary flat leaves and pitcher-type trapping leaves. Highly prized among carnivorous plant enthusiasts.

Opilia

Opilia amentacea

オピリア科

A shrub or woody vine distributed in tropical Africa and Asia. Not native to Japan, but the leaves and fruits are used for food and medicine in India and Southeast Asia. It is hemiparasitic, with haustoria on the roots.

Holly Fern

Cyrtomium falcatum

オシダ科

An evergreen fern growing on rocky shores and stone walls near the coast. Distinguished by its glossy pinnae, it is also used as Christmas decoration in Western countries. Dryopteridaceae is one of the most species-rich fern families in Japan.

Strawberry Begonia

Saxifraga stolonifera

ユキノシタ科

A perennial herb growing on moist rocks and stone walls. The two lower petals of the small white flowers hang down conspicuously, and the name 'yukino-shita' (under the snow) refers to its blooming habit beneath overhanging surfaces. The leaves are edible and delicious when tempura-fried.

Wall Fern

Lepisorus thunbergianus

ウラボシ科

A small evergreen fern that grows epiphytically on tree bark, rocks, stone walls, and under eaves. The fronds are simple and slender, with round sori arranged in two rows on the underside. The leaves curl when dry but unfurl upon rehydration.

Sweet Osmanthus

Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus

モクセイ科

An evergreen tall tree that blooms with intensely fragrant, small orange flowers in autumn. Widely planted as a garden tree in Japan. Native to China; since only male clones are common in Japan, it rarely sets fruit.

Yuzu🍊

Citrus junos

ミカン科

An evergreen small tree of the Rutaceae family long cultivated in Japan. The fruit is highly acidic, and its aromatic rind is especially prized. The custom of adding yuzu to the bath at the winter solstice is deeply rooted, making it one of Japan's most representative citrus.

Forget-me-not

Myosotis alpestris

ムラサキ科

An annual to biennial herb that produces numerous small blue-purple flowers in spring. Originally from Europe, it is widely cultivated and naturalized throughout Japan, found along riverbanks and roadsides. Known for its flower language meaning 'forget-me-not.'

Windmill Palm

Trachycarpus fortunei

ヤシ科

The most familiar palm tree in Japan, an evergreen tall tree. Brown fibrous leaf sheaths persist on the trunk, and fan-shaped leaves cluster at the crown. Possibly native to southern Kyushu, though details are unclear; long planted in gardens throughout Japan.

Justicia

Justicia procumbens

キツネノマゴ科

A small annual herb commonly found along roadsides and grasslands. From summer to autumn, it bears pale reddish-purple bilabiate flowers in spike-like inflorescences. The Japanese name alludes to the resemblance of the flower spike to a fox's grandchild.

Japanese Holly

Ilex integra

モチノキ科

An evergreen tall tree of the warm-temperate zone in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. It bears red spherical fruits in winter and is popular as a garden and park tree. Named for the sticky birdlime substance (torimochi) obtained from its bark.

Running Clubmoss

Lycopodium clavatum

ヒカゲノカズラ科

A clubmoss (lycophyte) growing on mountain forest floors. Its creeping stems extend long distances, densely covered with small scale-like leaves. The smooth, flammable spores were once used in pyrotechnics and medicine.

Oleander🌸

Nerium oleander

キョウチクトウ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree native to the Mediterranean. In summer, it produces numerous large 5-petaled flowers in pink, white, and other colors; widely planted along road medians and in parks. All parts are highly toxic, and even smoke from burning is dangerous.

Asiatic Sweetleaf

Symplocos sawafutagi

ハイノキ科

A deciduous shrub to small tree growing along mountain streams and forest edges. In early summer, white florets bloom densely on branches; in autumn, it bears attractive indigo-blue fruits that are popular with birds.

Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica

メギ科

An evergreen shrub native to Japan and China. Considered auspicious due to a Japanese wordplay meaning 'to turn away misfortune,' it is widely planted in gardens and temple grounds. The red berries are beautiful in winter, and the foliage turns red in autumn to winter.

Summer Oleaster

Elaeagnus multiflora

グミ科

A deciduous shrub found in mountains, fields, and coastal areas throughout Japan. In early summer, it bears elliptical red fruits that are sweet-sour and edible. The undersides of leaves and young stems are covered with silvery-white peltate scales.

Rock Tobacco

Conandron ramondioides

イワタバコ科

A perennial herb growing on wet rock walls in ravines. Named for its large leaves resembling tobacco leaves. It blooms with purple flowers in summer, adorning rocky ravine walls. The representative species of the Japanese endemic genus Conandron.

Indian Rhododendron

Melastoma candidum

ノボタン科

An evergreen shrub of southern Kyushu and Okinawa. It produces large purple 5-petaled flowers from summer to autumn. The leaves have prominent 3 main veins, and the leaf surface is densely hairy. It clearly exhibits the characteristic arcuate venation of Melastomataceae.

Chinese Trumpet Creeper

Campsis grandiflora

ノウゼンカズラ科

A deciduous woody climber native to China. In summer, it produces numerous large trumpet-shaped orange-red flowers. It clings to supports and walls using aerial roots, and has long been cultivated as a garden plant in Japan.

Japanese Yam

Dioscorea japonica

ヤマノイモ科

A perennial twining herb native to mountain fields. An elongated tuberous root extends vertically underground and is edible. Bulbils (mukago) form in leaf axils, and the heart-shaped leaves are opposite to whorled.

Piper Vine

Piper kadsura

コショウ科

An evergreen woody climber growing at forest edges in warm regions. A Japanese species of the genus Piper, with small flowers densely packed in spike-like inflorescences. Leaves are coriaceous, ovate, and glossy; fruits are small and ripen red.

Chain Fern

Blechnum niponicum

シシガシラ科

A fern growing on mountain forest floors and along ravines. Characterized by pronounced dimorphism between sterile and fertile fronds. The sori on fertile fronds are arranged in continuous lines along the midrib.

Asian Moonseed

Cocculus orbiculatus

ツヅラフジ科

A deciduous woody climber growing at forest edges and roadsides in mountain fields. In autumn, dark indigo-blue spherical fruits form in clusters, and the seeds inside have a distinctive snail-like shape. Leaf form is highly variable.

Milkwort

Polygala japonica

ヒメハギ科

A small perennial herb growing in sunny grasslands and mountain fields. It blooms with purple flowers from spring to early summer. The flower shape resembles Fabaceae but belongs to a different family, an example of convergent evolution.

Common Purslane

Portulaca oleracea

スベリヒユ科

An annual herb growing in fields and roadsides. Its succulent stems and leaves are drought-resistant, thriving vigorously even in midsummer heat. The leaves are edible and used as a vegetable worldwide.

Spider Flower

Cleome gynandra

フウチョウソウ科

An annual herb native to South Asia, naturalized in warm regions of Japan such as Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands. Characterized by 4 white to pale purple petals and long protruding stamens, with a strong odor throughout the plant.

Japanese Box

Buxus microphylla var. japonica

ツゲ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree endemic to Japan. The wood is extremely hard and dense, traditionally prized for making shogi pieces, seals, and combs. Widely used as a garden tree and hedge.

Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea

トケイソウ科

An evergreen perennial climber native to South America. Called 'clock plant' in Japanese because the flower resembles a clock face. Widely cultivated as an ornamental in Japan; naturalized in warm areas.

Japanese Pittosporum

Pittosporum tobira

トベラ科

An evergreen shrub to small tree growing along coasts. In spring, it produces strongly fragrant white flowers; in autumn, fruits split open to reveal orange-red sticky seeds. Tolerant of salt wind, it is widely used as a windbreak and garden tree.

Triuris🌸

Sciaphila secundiflora

ホンゴウソウ科

A mycoheterotrophic monocot lacking chlorophyll, living parasitically on fungi. The stem is slender, reddish-brown to white, appearing above ground only briefly. Found on humid forest floors of the Southwest Islands.

Bladdernut

Staphylea bumalda

ミツバウツギ科

A deciduous shrub growing at mountain forest edges and along ravines. In spring, white florets bloom in drooping raceme-like clusters. The fruit is a bladder-like inflated capsule containing hard seeds. Named for its trifoliate leaves.

Tree Peony

Paeonia suffruticosa

ボタン科

A deciduous shrub native to China, also called the 'king of flowers.' Large, magnificent blooms open in April–May in diverse cultivar colors including white, crimson, and purple. Introduced to Japan in the Nara period, it is deeply rooted in Japanese horticultural culture.

Akebi

Akebia quinata

アケビ科

A deciduous woody climber native to mountain fields. In autumn, purple fruits split open to reveal sweet white pulp and black seeds. Distinguished by its 5 leaflets; small purple flowers appear in spring.

Sarcandra

Sarcandra glabra

センリョウ科

An evergreen shrub of warm-temperate forest floors. In winter, it bears numerous round red fruits and is prized as an auspicious New Year decoration. Together with Ardisia crenata, it is a representative winter ornamental symbolizing good fortune.

Tropical Pitcher Plant🪴

Nepenthes mirabilis

ウツボカズラ科

A carnivorous plant distributed mainly in Southeast Asia; some species are native to the Ogasawara Islands in Japan. Leaf tips are modified into pitcher-shaped traps that store digestive fluid to capture insects.

Norfolk Island Pine

Araucaria heterophylla

ナンヨウスギ科

An evergreen conifer native to Norfolk Island, cultivated in Japan in warm areas and as an indoor foliage plant. Distinguished by its neat triangular silhouette, it is also used as a Christmas tree.

Manatee Grass

Syringodium isoetifolium

シラスナ科

A seagrass growing on sandy sea floors. The leaves are cylindrical with a round cross-section, distributed in tropical waters around Okinawa and the Southwest Islands. Together with Zostera species, it forms seagrass beds and serves as a vital foundation for coastal ecosystems.

Kadsura

Kadsura japonica

マツブサ科

An evergreen woody climber growing at forest edges in warm-temperate zones. In autumn, it bears beautiful spherical aggregate fruits composed of red fruitlets. Mucilage extracted from leaves and stems was traditionally used as a hair-styling preparation.

Water Fern

Azolla japonica

アカウキクサ科

A small aquatic fern floating in rice paddies, ponds, and marshes. Tiny overlapping leaves turn red in autumn to winter. It forms a symbiosis with cyanobacteria (Anabaena) for nitrogen fixation and is used as green manure in rice paddies.

Quillwort

Isoetes japonica

ミズニラ科

An aquatic lycophyte growing in mountain ponds and marshes. Slender chive-like leaves arise in tufts from the corm. A descendant of Carboniferous giant trees, it is among the most primitive living lycophytes.

Carpet Weed

Mollugo stricta

ザクロソウ科

A small annual herb growing in fields and roadsides. Stems creep along the ground or ascend slightly. Named for its leaves arranged in apparent whorls that resemble pomegranate leaves. Small white flowers bloom from summer to autumn.

Chinese White Olive

Canarium album

カンラン科

An evergreen tall tree native to East and Southeast Asia. Its olive-like fruits are edible, known as 'ganlan' in Chinese. The aromatic resin has long been used in medicine and as incense.

Puncture Vine

Tribulus terrestris

ハマビシ科

A prostrate annual herb growing on coastal sandy ground. Named for its hard, spiny fruits resembling a diamond shape. It blooms with small yellow flowers in summer; the fruits easily pierce bare feet.

Devil's Claw

Proboscidea louisianica

ツノゴマ科

An annual herb native to North America, naturalized in Japan. The fruit bears two long hooked horns that catch on animal feet and fur for dispersal. Stems and leaves are densely covered with sticky glandular hairs and have a distinctive odor.

Katsura Tree

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

カツラ科

A deciduous tall tree native to Japan and China. Famous for releasing a sweet caramel-like fragrance when its leaves turn yellow in autumn. Heart-shaped leaves are opposite, and it grows into large trees along streams and in moist valleys.

Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

ノウゼンハレン科

An annual herb native to South America. Characterized by round peltate leaves and vivid orange, yellow, and red flowers; cultivated worldwide as an ornamental and edible plant. Both flowers and leaves have a peppery flavor and are used in salads.

Chrysobalanus

Parinari laurina

クリソバラヌス科

An evergreen tall tree growing in coastal forests of Okinawa and the Southwest Islands. Chrysobalanaceae is a family of Rosales widely distributed in the tropics; in Japan, only a few species are known from the Southwest Islands. It bears hard drupes.

Japanese Clethra

Clethra barbinervis

リョウブ科

A deciduous small to tall tree growing on mountain ridges and in open forests. In summer, numerous white florets bloom in spike-like racemes with a sweet fragrance. The bark is smooth and peeling, resembling crape myrtle. Young leaves are edible.

Petrosavia

Petrosavia sakuraii

サクライソウ科

A mycoheterotrophic monocot growing on dark mountain forest floors. Lacking chlorophyll, it obtains organic matter through fungi. Rarely found in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu in Japan.

Wheel Tree

Trochodendron aralioides

ヤマグルマ科

An evergreen tall tree of mountainous areas in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It produces flowers lacking petals and sepals, and leaves cluster at branch tips in a wheel-like arrangement. Notable as a primitive woody plant lacking vessel elements (tracheids only).

Dipterocarp

Vatica mangachapoi

フタバガキ科

An evergreen tall tree distributed in Okinawa and the Southwest Islands. Dipterocarpaceae constitutes the dominant tree family of Southeast Asian tropical rainforests; in Japan, only a few species occur in the Southwest Islands. The fruit develops wing-like calyx lobes.

Euptelea

Euptelea polyandra

フサザクラ科

A deciduous small tree growing along mountain ravines. In spring, clusters of red stamens hang beautifully before the leaves emerge. It possesses a primitive flower structure lacking petals and sepals. Eupteleaceae is a small family of only 1 genus and 2 species.

Rockrose

Helianthemum nummularium

ハンニチバナ科

A perennial herb to subshrub native to the Mediterranean coast, rarely found as a naturalized plant in Japan. Named for its yellow flowers that open only in the morning and close (half-day flower). Prefers dry grasslands on limestone.

Philydrum

Philydrum lanuginosum

タヌキアヤメ科

An aquatic perennial herb distributed from East Asia to Australia; in Japan, found in western Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. It grows in wetlands and around rice paddies, bearing yellow flowers in spike-like inflorescences in summer.

Datisca

Datisca cannabina

ダティスカ科

A perennial herb native to the eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia, cultivated in botanical gardens in Japan. Named 'cannabina' for its hemp-like pinnate compound leaves. Contains a yellow dye pigment.

Bay Cedar

Suriana maritima

スリアナ科

An evergreen shrub of tropical and subtropical coasts; in Japan, it grows on coral reef sandy ground in Okinawa and the Southwest Islands. Tolerant of strong salt wind and drought, it plays a role in stabilizing coastlines.

Degeneria

Degeneria vitiensis

デゲネリア科

An evergreen tall tree endemic to Fiji, comprising only one genus with two species. Cultivated only in botanical gardens in Japan, it is an extremely important 'living fossil' for studying the early evolution of angiosperms.

Souari Nut

Caryocar brasiliense

バターナット科

An evergreen tall tree native to South America, cultivated only in botanical gardens in Japan. The fruit is a large, hard drupe that is edible. It is one of the representative tree species of the Brazilian cerrado (savanna).

Ancistrocladus

Ancistrocladus heyneanus

アンシストロクラダス科

A woody climbing plant distributed in tropical Asia and Africa, belonging to a monotypic family with only one genus. It climbs by hooking onto other objects with its hook-shaped branch tips. A rare plant cultivated only in botanical gardens in Japan.

Rice🌾

Oryza sativa

イネ科

An annual grass cultivated as Japan's staple food for thousands of years. The japonica variety grown in paddy fields is predominant in Japan, believed to have been introduced from the Asian continent during the Yayoi period. Rice is fundamental to Japanese food culture, used in cooked rice, mochi, sake, and miso, while rice cultivation has shaped Japan's rural culture, festivals, and landscape.

Wheat🌾

Triticum aestivum

イネ科

One of the world's three major cereal crops, an annual grass used as the raw material for bread, noodles, pastries, and many other foods. Introduced to Japan before the Nara period, it is deeply rooted in Japanese food culture through udon, somen, and okonomiyaki. Hokkaido is the main domestic production area.

Barley🌾

Hordeum vulgare

イネ科

An annual grass used to produce barley tea, mixed grain rice, miso, beer, and whisky. More cold- and drought-tolerant than wheat, the practice of 'mugi-fumi' (treading barley seedlings) has been a traditional spring scene in Japan. Pressed barley mixed with white rice has recently regained attention as a dietary fiber supplement.

Soybean🫘

Glycine max

マメ科

An annual legume known as 'meat of the field,' forming the backbone of Japanese food culture through tofu, miso, soy sauce, natto, and soy milk. Rich in protein, lipids, and isoflavones. It fixes nitrogen through symbiosis with rhizobia, also enriching the soil when used in crop rotation.

Adzuki Bean🫘

Vigna angularis

マメ科

An essential bean in Japanese traditional and ceremonial foods such as wagashi confections, sekihan (red rice), and zenzai (sweet bean soup). Characterized by its red color and sweetness, the custom of eating sekihan at New Year and celebrations has continued since ancient times. Native to East Asia and long cultivated in Japan, with Hokkaido as the main production area.

Corn / Maize🌽

Zea mays

イネ科

An annual grass native to the Andes region of South America and one of the world's three major cereal crops. In Japan it is enjoyed as a summer vegetable, boiled or grilled, and is also widely used for cornstarch, animal feed, and biofuel. It is an especially important crop in Hokkaido's large-scale agriculture.

Buckwheat🌸

Fagopyrum esculentum

タデ科

An annual herb that is the source of Japan's traditional soba noodles. Belonging to Polygonaceae rather than Poaceae, it is a 'pseudocereal' whose seeds are ground into flour for noodles and sobagaki. It grows well even on poor soils in mountainous areas and is deeply tied to Japanese food culture, including New Year's Eve soba and regional traditions of Shinshu and Izumo.

Daikon Radish🌿

Raphanus sativus

アブラナ科

One of the most consumed vegetables in Japan. The white, large root (enlarged hypocotyl) is eaten in simmered dishes, pickles, and grated as a condiment, making it indispensable in Japanese cuisine. Contains the pungent compound isothiocyanate and is rich in digestive enzymes. Numerous cultivars exist, including Miura and Aokubi types.

Cabbage🥬

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

アブラナ科

A biennial (treated as an annual in cultivation) derived from Mediterranean kale, eaten for its enlarged spherical head of leaves. Widely used in both Western and Japanese dishes including salads, stir-fries, okonomiyaki, and stuffed cabbage rolls. Rich in vitamins C and U, it is known as a vegetable beneficial for the stomach and intestines.

Carrot🥕

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

セリ科

A biennial grown for its orange taproot. Rich in beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, making it a highly nutritious vegetable. Widely used in Japanese, Western, and Chinese cooking for simmered dishes, curries, and kinpira. The Western-type carrot introduced to Japan around the 17th century is now the predominant form.

Tomato🍅

Solanum lycopersicum

ナス科

An annual plant native to the Andes of South America. The red ripe fruit is rich in lycopene and vitamin C, and is a staple ingredient in Western cuisine for salads, pasta, and ketchup. Introduced to Japan during the Edo period, it became widely consumed only after the Meiji era. Japan's greenhouse cultivation technology produces high-quality domestic tomatoes.

Cucumber🥒

Cucumis sativus

ウリ科

A climbing annual vine native to India. The green fruit is a quintessential summer vegetable, widely used in pickles, salads, and vinegar-dressed dishes across Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines. With its high water content and refreshing quality, it is indispensable in Japanese food during the hot summer months.

Onion🧅

Allium cepa

ヒガンバナ科

A biennial (treated as annual in cultivation) native to Central Asia. The enlarged bulb is eaten and widely used in stir-fries, soups, and stews across both Western and Japanese cuisines. Characterized by pungency and sweetness from allyl sulfides, its sweetness intensifies when heated. Hokkaido is the largest domestic production area.

Potato🥔

Solanum tuberosum

ナス科

A perennial (treated as annual in cultivation) native to the Andes of South America. The underground tubers are eaten and deeply integrated into Japanese cuisine in dishes such as nikujaga, curry, and croquettes. Rich in starch, vitamin C, and potassium, it became widespread in Japan from the late Edo to Meiji period. Hokkaido produces approximately 80% of the national crop.

Spinach🌿

Spinacia oleracea

ヒユ科

An annual to biennial plant native to Central Asia. A representative green-yellow vegetable rich in iron, folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin K. Indispensable in Japanese meals as ohitashi (blanched greens), stir-fries, and soups. Blanching is recommended due to oxalic acid content, though low-oxalate salad varieties have recently become popular.

Burdock🌿

Arctium lappa

キク科

A biennial in Asteraceae native to Eurasia. An unusual vegetable whose root is eaten only in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, used in kinpira gobo, tonjiru (pork miso soup), and takikomi gohan (mixed rice). Rich in dietary fiber and said to improve gut health. Characterized by its distinctive earthy aroma and crisp texture.

Japanese Bunching Onion🌿

Allium fistulosum

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial (cultivated as annual to biennial) native to China. An essential vegetable in Japanese cuisine used as a garnish, in hot pot dishes, and as a soba topping. Broadly divided into white leek types (naga-negi) and green types, with the Kanto region preferring the white shaft and Kansai preferring the green leaves. Its pungency and aroma enhance the flavor of dishes.

Garlic🌿

Allium sativum

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial (treated as annual in cultivation) native to Central Asia. The bulb is used for food and medicine, prized for its strong aroma and flavor in Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine. Allicin, a sulfur compound, is said to have antibacterial, immune-boosting, and fatigue-recovery effects. Aomori Prefecture is the main production area in Japan.

Pumpkin / Japanese Pumpkin🎃

Cucurbita moschata

ウリ科

A climbing annual vine native to Central and South America. Both Japanese squash (Cucurbita moschata) and Western squash (C. maxima) are widely cultivated. Used in simmered dishes, tempura, soups, and sweets, with a tradition of eating squash on the winter solstice. A highly nutritious vegetable rich in beta-carotene, vitamins C and E.

Sweet Potato🍠

Ipomoea batatas

ヒルガオ科

A climbing perennial (treated as annual in cultivation) native to Central and South America. The enlarged tuberous roots are used in a variety of dishes including roasted sweet potato, tempura, imo-kenpi (candied sweet potato sticks), and sweet potato desserts. It spread throughout Japan via Satsuma (Kagoshima) during the Edo period, hence the name 'Satsuma-imo.' Rich in beta-carotene, dietary fiber, and vitamin C.

Satsuma Mandarin🍊

Citrus unshiu

ミカン科

The most popular citrus in Japan, also known as Satsuma mandarin. Believed to originate from China, it has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times. Well-balanced in sweetness and acidity, and seedless for easy eating. Major production areas include Shizuoka, Wakayama, Ehime, and Kumamoto. Synonymous with winter in Japan, traditionally enjoyed while sitting at a kotatsu (heated table).

Apple🍎

Malus domestica

バラ科

A deciduous fruit tree native to Central Asia and one of the most widely cultivated fruits in the world. Western cultivars were introduced to Japan in the Meiji era, and it is now produced on a large scale, centered in Aomori and Nagano. Numerous cultivars exist, including 'Fuji,' 'San-Fuji,' and 'Tsugaru.' The red fruits harvested in autumn are highly nutritious and widely used in processed foods.

Peach🍑

Prunus persica

バラ科

A deciduous fruit tree native to China, believed to have been introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period. Deeply rooted in Japanese food culture and folklore, it appears in the legend of Momotaro. Major production areas are Yamanashi, Fukushima, and Nagano. The fruit is sweet and fragrant, with white-fleshed and yellow-fleshed cultivars. The pale pink flowers blooming in spring are also valued ornamentally.

Japanese Pear🍐

Pyrus pyrifolia

バラ科

A deciduous fruit tree native to East Asia with over a thousand years of cultivation history in Japan. Widely distributed cultivars include 'Kosui,' 'Hosui,' and 'Nijisseiki.' The fruit is characterized by its crisp, gritty texture and high water content, available from summer to autumn. Major production areas include Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Tottori.

Strawberry🍓

Fragaria × ananassa

バラ科

A cultivated variety also called garden strawberry, bred through hybridization in 18th-century Europe. Introduced to Japan in the late Edo period, numerous Japanese-bred cultivars such as 'Tochiotome,' 'Amaou,' and 'Sagahonoka' have since been developed. Essential as an ingredient for cakes and sweets, its peak season has shifted to winter–spring through forcing culture in vinyl greenhouses.

Watermelon🍉

Citrullus lanatus

ウリ科

An annual plant native to southern Africa and the quintessential summer fruit. It became widespread in Japan during the Edo period, with current main production areas including Kumamoto, Chiba, and Yamagata. Beneath the green-and-dark-striped rind lies sweet red flesh composed of nearly 95% water. Widely consumed as a hydration source during the hot summer months.

Japanese Horseradish🌿

Wasabia japonica

アブラナ科

A perennial herb endemic to Japan, growing naturally along clear mountain streams. The green pungent compound (allyl isothiocyanate) obtained by grating the rhizome is an indispensable condiment for sushi and sashimi. Main production areas include Shimane and Shizuoka (Amagi, Oigawa). Cultivation methods include water-grown wasabi (sawa-wasabi) and field-grown wasabi (oka-wasabi).

Japanese Pepper🌿

Zanthoxylum piperitum

ミカン科

A native Japanese deciduous shrub used as a traditional spice in various forms throughout the year: young leaves (kinome) in spring, flower buds (hana-zansho), and berries (mi-zansho). The distinctive tingling, numbing pungency comes from sanshool (hydroxy-alpha-sanshool). It is essential in Japanese cuisine, particularly with grilled eel (kabayaki) and tsukudani (simmered preserves).

Perilla🌿

Perilla frutescens var. crispa

シソ科

An annual herb native to East Asia, believed to have been used in Japan since the Jomon period. Available as red shiso and green shiso (ooba), it is widely used for coloring umeboshi (pickled plums), as a garnish, in tempura, and for juice. Its distinctive refreshing fragrance comes from perillaldehyde, which has preservative and antibacterial properties.

Ginger🌿

Zingiber officinale

ショウガ科

A perennial herb native to tropical Asia, believed to have been introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period. The underground rhizome contains pungent and aromatic compounds (gingerol and shogaol) and is widely used as a condiment, herbal medicine, and in processed foods. Kochi Prefecture is Japan's largest production area. It is also used to combat cold sensitivity due to its body-warming effect.

Rose🌹

Rosa hybrida

バラ科

The world's most widely beloved ornamental flowering plant. Modern roses are a group of garden cultivars developed through breeding in Europe and America since the 19th century. Cultivation in Japan began in the Edo period, and numerous cultivars now circulate domestically and internationally. An international symbol as a gift flower for Valentine's Day and anniversaries.

Tulip🌷

Tulipa gesneriana

ユリ科

A bulbous plant native to Central Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. Known for the 'Tulip Mania' speculative bubble in 17th-century Netherlands. Introduced to Japan in the late Edo period, with Niigata and Toyama as the main bulb production areas today. A quintessential spring flower bed plant with thousands of cultivars varying in color, shape, and pattern.

Chrysanthemum🌸

Chrysanthemum morifolium

キク科

A perennial herb native to China, introduced to Japan during the Nara period. As one of Japan's unofficial national flowers, it is used in the Imperial family crest and has been depicted in poetry, paintings, and crafts since ancient times. At the Chrysanthemum Festival (Choyo no Sekku) in autumn, there is a custom of drinking chrysanthemum sake. Uses range from Buddhist offerings and edible chrysanthemums to cut flowers and bonsai.

Japanese Wisteria💜

Wisteria floribunda

マメ科

A deciduous woody climber endemic to Japan, a representative spring flower celebrated in the ancient Manyoshu poetry collection. The pendulous racemes of pale purple to white flowers are spectacular; the great wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture is world-famous. The trunk twines clockwise (right-handed). Widely used on pergolas in Japanese gardens and parks.

Azalea🌸

Rhododendron obtusum

ツツジ科

An evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub widely distributed and planted in mountains, fields, and parks throughout Japan. Its vivid spring flowers are a seasonal hallmark, making it one of the most commonly used plants for roadside and park hedges. Numerous cultivars exist, including Hirado Azalea, Kirishima Azalea, and Kurume Azalea, with diverse flower colors in white, pink, red, and purple.

Narcissus🌼

Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis

ヒガンバナ科

A bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean coast, believed to have been introduced to Japan around the Muromachi period. Also called Japanese narcissus, it features a beautiful contrast between white outer tepals and a yellow corona (cup). Famous colony sites include the Echizen coast in Fukui, Awaji Island in Hyogo, and Nokogiriyama in Chiba. It blooms with elegant white flowers from winter to early spring and is used in New Year's flower arrangements.

Moso Bamboo🎋

Phyllostachys edulis

イネ科

A large bamboo native to China, introduced to Japan in the mid-Edo period (18th century). The most widely distributed bamboo in Japan, its rapid expansion via underground rhizomes has become a problem, while its bamboo shoots (April–May) are prized as food. Culms reach up to 20 cm in diameter and over 20 m in height. The timber is used for building materials, crafts, musical instruments, and charcoal.

Japanese Beech🌳

Fagus crenata

ブナ科

A deciduous broadleaf tree endemic to Japan, distributed from southwestern Hokkaido to Kyushu. It forms pure stands (beech forests) in the cool-temperate montane zone, representing Japan's climax vegetation. The virgin beech forest of the Shirakami Mountains (Aomori/Akita) is registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The term 'Beech Zone culture' reflects how deeply this species is intertwined with the ecology and culture of heavy-snowfall regions. Its autumn golden foliage is also beautiful.

Dwarf Chinese Holly

Ilex rotunda

モチノキ科

A dioecious broadleaf evergreen tree that produces dense clusters of bright red berries from late autumn through winter. Widely planted as a garden tree and street tree in Japan.

Chinese Sweetgum

Liquidambar formosana

フウ科

A deciduous tree of the Altingiaceae family native to China and Taiwan, planted in parks for its beautiful autumn foliage. The leaves are three-lobed, and it bears spherical, spiny aggregate fruits.

Japanese Chinquapin🌳

Castanopsis sieboldii

ブナ科

An evergreen tree of the Fagaceae family and a representative species of warm-temperate laurel forests. It produces slender acorns in autumn that can be eaten raw.

Japanese Cobra Lily🌿

Arisaema ringens

サトイモ科

A perennial herb of the Araceae family (genus Arisaema). Its spathe has a distinctive shape resembling a horse's stirrup, and it bears large leaves composed of three leaflets.

Hisakaki

Eurya japonica

サカキ科

An evergreen small tree of the Pentaphylacaceae family, widely used as offerings at Shinto and Buddhist altars. In early spring it bears dense clusters of small white to pale yellow flowers with a distinctive odor.

Japanese Aucuba

Aucuba japonica

ガリア科

An evergreen shrub of the Garryaceae family that grows in somewhat shaded forest floors. Female plants bear bright red elliptical fruits in winter, and it is also planted in gardens as an ornamental.

Japanese Larch🌲

Larix kaempferi

マツ科

A deciduous conifer of the Pinaceae family that is unusual among Japanese conifers in turning yellow and shedding its needles in autumn. It grows wild in subalpine zones and is also widely planted for forestry.

Spinyfruit Buttercup🌸

Ranunculus muricatus

キンポウゲ科

An annual herb of the Ranunculaceae family native to the Mediterranean region, naturalizing increasingly in recent years. It is characterized by long spiny projections on the surface of its fruit.

Japanese Bay Tree🌿

Machilus thunbergii

クスノキ科

An evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family and a representative species of coastal laurel forests. The bark and leaves yield a powder used as incense ingredient.

Hair-cap Moss

Pogonatum inflexum

スギゴケ科

A moss of the Polytrichaceae family that forms colonies on damp ground in forests and along roadsides. It resembles Polytrichum juniperinum but is somewhat smaller with shorter leaves.

Black Mangrove

Bruguiera gymnorhiza

ヒルギ科

An evergreen tree of the Rhizophoraceae family and a representative species of subtropical mangrove forests. It produces distinctive bent, knee-like breathing roots (pneumatophores) above the ground.

Red Mangrove

Rhizophora mucronata

ヒルギ科

An evergreen tree of the Rhizophoraceae family that grows in mangrove forests of the Yaeyama Islands and other parts of the Ryukyu Islands. It is characterized by stilt roots resembling octopus legs.

Japanese Grape Fern

Botrychium japonicum

ハナヤスリ科

A winter-green fern of the Ophioglossaceae family with separate sterile and fertile fronds. Leaves emerge in autumn, overwinter, and disperse spores in spring.

Buttercup🌸

Ranunculus silerifolius

キンポウゲ科

A perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family that grows in damp places. It produces small yellow flowers and, being poisonous and avoided by livestock, often persists in grazed pastures.

Fuzzy Deutzia🌸

Deutzia scabra

アジサイ科

A deciduous shrub of the Hydrangeaceae family that produces numerous small white flowers in conical panicles in early summer. Its leaves are relatively rounded.

Buckshorn Plantain

Plantago coronopus

オオバコ科

A biennial herb of the Plantaginaceae family native to Europe, naturalized near coasts. It is characterized by leaves that are deeply pinnately divided.

Japanese Fig

Ficus erecta

クワ科

A deciduous small tree of the Moraceae family (genus Ficus), dioecious in habit. It produces small fig-like fruits that ripen to a dark purple.

Jack In The Pulpit🌿

Arisaema serratum

サトイモ科

A perennial herb of the Araceae family (genus Arisaema) widely distributed from the Kanto region westward. The spathe is green to purplish-brown, and in autumn it bears red corn-like aggregate fruits.

Japan Wax Tree🍂

Toxicodendron succedaneum

ウルシ科

A deciduous small tree of the Anacardiaceae family with brilliant autumn color. Its fruits once yielded Japan wax and the tree was formerly cultivated for this. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation.

Tawny Daylily

Hemerocallis fulva

ワスレグサ科

A perennial herb of the Asphodelaceae family that produces double orange flowers in summer. It is triploid and does not set seed, spreading by rhizomes.

大島桜 Oshima Cherry🌸

Cerasus speciosa

バラ科

A deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family, a cherry species native to the Izu Islands. It is the parent of many ornamental cultivars including Somei-yoshino. Its leaves are used to wrap sakura-mochi.

Miquel's Mazus

Mazus miquelii

サギゴケ科

A perennial herb of the Mazaceae family that forms colonies along rice paddy ridges and in damp grasslands. It was named for its white to purple flowers that resemble egrets (sagi).

American Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

フウ科

A deciduous tree of the Altingiaceae family native to North America, with leaves resembling maple and 5 to 7 lobes. Its vivid autumn color makes it popular as a street tree and park tree.

Japanese Silver Tree🌿

Neolitsea sericea

クスノキ科

An evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family named for the silvery white underside of its leaves. It is dioecious, and in late autumn small yellow flowers bloom at the same time as its red fruits ripen.

Water Chestnut

Trapa bicornis

ミソハギ科

A floating-leaved plant of the Lythraceae family (genus Trapa) that produces fruits larger than those of Trapa japonica with two horns. Native to China, its seeds are used as food.

Japanese Rockcap Fern

Polypodium niponicum

ウラボシ科

An evergreen fern of the Polypodiaceae family that grows epiphytically on rocks and tree trunks. It produces pinnate fronds from creeping rhizomes.

Japanese Mountain Cherry🌸

Prunus jamasakura

バラ科

A deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family and a representative wild cherry species of Japan. Its flowers and young leaves open at the same time, and the young leaves are characteristically reddish-brown.

Ichi Oak Tree🌳

Quercus gilva

ブナ科

An evergreen tree of the Fagaceae family that grows into a large specimen in warm-temperate laurel forests. The undersides of the leaves are densely covered with golden-brown hairs that give a golden sheen.

Horse Chestnut🍁

Aesculus turbinata

ムクロジ科

A deciduous tree of the Sapindaceae family with large palmately compound leaves and beautiful upright conical white inflorescences. Its seeds, after leaching out the bitterness, are used to make tochimochi (horse chestnut rice cakes).

Ring-cupped Oak🌳

Quercus glauca

ブナ科

An evergreen tree of the Fagaceae family and one of the representative species of laurel forests. The upper half of the leaf margin has coarse serrations, which is the origin of its Japanese name 'ara-kashi' (rough oak).

Lusterleaf Holly

Ilex latifolia

モチノキ科

An evergreen tree of the Aquifoliaceae family. Characters can be written on the underside of its leaves (scratches turn black), and it is said to be the origin of the Japanese word for postcard ('hagaki'). Female plants bear red fruits.

Angelica-tree

Aralia elata

ウコギ科

A deciduous shrub of the Araliaceae family whose young shoots (tara-no-me) are famous as a mountain vegetable. Its trunks and petioles bear many sharp spines.

Thunberg Knotweed🌿

Persicaria thunbergii

タデ科

An annual herb of the Polygonaceae family that forms colonies in wet areas and along water. Its leaves resemble a cow's forehead, giving rise to its alternative name 'ushi-no-hitai'.

Hassaku Orange🍊

Citrus hassaku

ミカン科

An evergreen small tree of the Rutaceae family, a citrus cultivated mainly in Wakayama Prefecture. It has a distinctive flavor with a slight bitterness and is harvested from winter to spring.

Chinese Milk Vetch🌿

Astragalus sinicus

マメ科

A biennial herb of the Fabaceae family, also called renge-sou. It was formerly widely cultivated as green manure in rice paddies, where fields of its purplish-red flowers bloomed in spring.

Japanese Stone Oak🌳

Lithocarpus edulis

ブナ科

An evergreen tree of the Fagaceae family characterized by large acorns. The nuts can be eaten raw, and the tree is widely planted as a street tree and windbreak.

Kuma Bamboo Grass🌾

Sasa veitchii

イネ科

An evergreen bamboo grass of the Poaceae family whose leaf margins become whitened in winter. It was originally cultivated mainly around Kyoto but is now planted throughout Japan.

Loquat🌸

Eriobotrya japonica

バラ科

An evergreen small tree of the Rosaceae family that blooms with white flowers from late autumn to winter and ripens orange-yellow fruits in early summer. Its leaves are also used medicinally.

Autumn Fern

Dryopteris erythrosora

オシダ科

An evergreen fern of the Dryopteridaceae family named for the reddish tint of its new fronds. It is commonly seen on forest floors and on stone walls.

Montbretia

Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora

アヤメ科

A bulbous plant of the Iridaceae family of garden origin from South Africa. In summer it bears spikes of vivid orange-red flowers and has become naturalized in many regions.

Tea Plant🌺

Camellia sinensis

ツバキ科

An evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family whose leaves are the source of green and black tea. It produces small nodding white flowers in autumn.

Golden Bamboo🌾

Phyllostachys aurea

イネ科

A medium-sized bamboo of the Poaceae family named because the internodes of its culms swell unevenly, resembling the belly of the deity Hotei. Native to China, it is planted as an ornamental.

Spear-leaf Selliquea Fern

Selliguea hastata

ウラボシ科

An evergreen fern of the Polypodiaceae family characterized by leaves divided into three lobes. It grows epiphytically on rocks and tree trunks.

Apple Moss

Bartramia pomiformis

タマゴケ科

A moss of the Bartramiaceae family that forms colonies on forest floors and rocks. Its name derives from the spherical, egg-like capsules of its sporophytes.

Marsh Marigold🌸

Caltha palustris

キンポウゲ科

A perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family that grows in wetlands and along streams. It produces brilliant yellow flowers in early spring.

Boston Ivy

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

ブドウ科

A deciduous climbing vine of the Vitaceae family that climbs walls using adhesive disks on its tendrils. Its autumn coloration is beautiful.

Stock🌼

Matthiola cv

アブラナ科

An annual or biennial herb of the Brassicaceae family native to the Mediterranean region. It bears many fragrant flowers in spikes and is cultivated for cut flowers and flower beds.

Giant Foxtail🌾

Setaria faberi

イネ科

An annual herb of the Poaceae family (genus Setaria), larger than the common foxtail grass with heavier drooping spikes. It is conspicuous in autumn.

Beautiful Branch Moss

Callicladium haldanianum

ハイゴケ科

A moss of the Hypnaceae family that creeps over rotting wood and soil on forest floors. It forms bright yellow-green mat-like colonies.

Rose Moss

Rhodobryum giganteum

ハリガネゴケ科

A large moss of the Bryaceae family that grows upright on forest floors, with leaves spreading radially like an umbrella. It is exceptionally large among mosses.

Crested Iris

Iris japonica

アヤメ科

An evergreen perennial herb of the Iridaceae family that forms colonies on forest floors. It is triploid and does not set seed, spreading by rhizomes. In spring it produces showy pale purple flowers.

Himesyara🌺

Stewartia monadelpha

ツバキ科

A deciduous tree of the Theaceae family characterized by smooth, beautiful reddish-brown bark. In early summer it produces small white flowers smaller than those of natsutsubaki.

Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica

ミソハギ科

A deciduous small tree of the Lythraceae family that blooms with red, white, or pale purple flowers over a long period in summer. Its name (literally 'monkey slip') derives from the smooth bark left after the old bark peels off.

Mountain Wisteria🌿

Wisteria brachybotrys

マメ科

A deciduous woody vine of the Fabaceae family resembling the common wisteria but with shorter inflorescences and left-twining stems. It grows wild in mountains from western Honshu westward.

Long-headed Poppy

Papaver dubium

ケシ科

A biennial herb of the Papaveraceae family native to the Mediterranean region, rapidly spreading as a naturalized plant in recent years. It is characterized by orange-red flowers and elongated fruits.

Star Anise Tree

Illicium anisatum

マツブサ科

An evergreen small tree of the Schisandraceae family, widely used as a Buddhist altar offering. The whole plant contains toxic compounds, and the fruits in particular are highly poisonous.

Siberian Lupin🌿

Thermopsis lupinoides

マメ科

A perennial herb of the Fabaceae family that grows in coastal sands and grasslands, bearing racemes of yellow pea-like flowers in early summer.

Hirado Azalea🌸

Rhododendron × pulchrum

ツツジ科

An evergreen shrub of the Ericaceae family, a garden hybrid derived from crosses involving the Kerama azalea and others. It produces many large flowers and is widely planted as hedges and in parks.

Japanese Ivy

Hedera rhombea

ウコギ科

An evergreen woody vine of the Araliaceae family that climbs other objects using aerial roots. It produces spherical flower clusters from autumn through winter.

Lilytree🌸

Magnolia denudata

モクレン科

A deciduous tree of the Magnoliaceae family native to China that produces large, pure white flowers before the leaves emerge in early spring. It is widely planted as a garden and park tree.

Kousa Dogwood🌸

Cornus kousa

ミズキ科

A deciduous tree of the Cornaceae family that opens four white flower-like bracts in early summer. In autumn it produces red aggregate fruits and beautiful foliage color.

Malayan Banyan

Ficus microcarpa

クワ科

An evergreen tree of the Moraceae family (genus Ficus) distributed in subtropical and tropical regions. It sends down numerous aerial roots from its trunk and grows with an enveloping, strangling habit.

Incised Fumewort

Corydalis incisa

ケシ科

A biennial herb of the Papaveraceae family (genus Corydalis) that forms colonies at forest edges and in semi-shaded damp places. It produces racemes of elongated purplish-red lip-shaped flowers. The whole plant is poisonous.

Cockle Burr🌼

Xanthium occidentale

キク科

An annual herb of the Asteraceae family native to North America, naturalized on riverbanks and wastelands. Its fruits bear hooked spines that disperse by attaching to animals and clothing.

緑 Banana Green

Musa cv

バショウ科

A large perennial herb of the Musaceae family (genus Musa), a representative tropical fruit. What appears to be the stem is actually a pseudostem formed by overlapping leaf sheaths.

Geji-geji Fern

Phegopteris decursivepinnata

ヒメシダ科

A summer-green fern of the Thelypteridaceae family named because the small pinnae along its rachis resemble the legs of a house centipede (gejigeji). It forms colonies on forest floors.

Satsumainamori

Ophiorrhiza japonica

アカネ科

An evergreen perennial herb of the Rubiaceae family that forms colonies on forest floors in warm regions. In early spring it produces small, white, star-shaped flowers.

Japanese Dock🌿

Rumex japonicus

タデ科

A perennial herb of the Polygonaceae family (genus Rumex) that grows along damp roadsides and rice paddy ridges. Its stems are thick and erect, bearing many small green flowers in spikes.

Japanese Fir🌲

Abies firma

マツ科

A tall evergreen conifer of the Pinaceae family that becomes a large tree in warm mountain forests. It is known as a Christmas tree and as material for coffins.

Japanese Andromeda🌸

Pieris japonica

ツツジ科

An evergreen shrub of the Ericaceae family that produces clusters of white urn-shaped flowers in early spring. The whole plant contains toxic compounds, and it was named because horses that eat it become unsteady on their feet.

Indian Chrysanthemum🌼

Chrysanthemum indicum

キク科

A perennial herb of the Asteraceae family that grows on coasts and in mountains, producing yellow flower heads in late autumn. It is considered one of the wild ancestors of the cultivated chrysanthemum.

Lizard's Tail

Saururus chinensis

ドクダミ科

A perennial herb of the Saururaceae family that forms colonies in wetlands and along water. Its name derives from the upper leaves turning half white around the time of the summer solstice.

Chinese Hackberry

Celtis sinensis

アサ科

A deciduous tree of the Cannabaceae family that often remains as a large specimen at shrines and along old highways. It is also known as the tree traditionally planted at ichirizuka (milestone mounds).

Bittercress🌼

Cardamine scutata

アブラナ科

A biennial herb of the Brassicaceae family that grows in damp places and produces racemes of small white cruciform flowers. Its leaves are larger than those of the related tanetsukebana.

デコポン Sumo Mandarin🍊

Citrus reticulata

ミカン科

An evergreen small tree of the Rutaceae family, also known as Dekopon. It is characterized by a bump-like protrusion on the top of its fruit.

Common Liverwort

Marchantia polymorpha

ゼニゴケ科

A liverwort of the Marchantiaceae family that spreads over damp ground and stone walls. The thallus is flat with diamond-shaped markings on its surface, and female plants raise umbrella-shaped reproductive organs.

Ezo Daylily

Hemerocallis citrina

ワスレグサ科

A perennial herb of the Asphodelaceae family that grows on coasts and grasslands from Hokkaido to Tohoku. Its fragrant pale yellow flowers open in the evening and wither by the next morning.

Sweet Autumn Clematis🌸

Clematis terniflora

キンポウゲ科

A perennial climbing herb of the Ranunculaceae family that produces many white cruciform flowers in summer. Its fruits have long feathery hairs that resemble the beard of a hermit (sennin), giving rise to its name.

Taro Potato🌿

Colocasia esculenta

サトイモ科

A perennial herb of the Araceae family, an ancient cultivated crop native to Southeast Asia. Its underground corms are used as food.

Japanese Grand Ivy🌿

Glechoma hederacea

シソ科

A perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family that spreads along the ground with runners. In spring it bears pale purple lip-shaped flowers in the leaf axils.

Dawn Redwood🌲

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

ヒノキ科

A deciduous conifer of the Cupressaceae family known as a living fossil. Native to China, it is widely used as a park tree for its well-formed conical shape and beautiful autumn color.

Green Peas🌿

Pisum sativum

マメ科

A biennial herb of the Fabaceae family widely cultivated as the garden pea. In early spring it produces white to purple pea-like flowers, and its young pods and seeds are used as food.

Apricot🌸

Prunus armeniaca

バラ科

A deciduous small tree of the Rosaceae family that produces pale pink flowers in early spring slightly later than the Japanese apricot. Its fruits ripen to an orange-yellow color in early summer and are eaten fresh or used for jam.

Henon Bamboo🌾

Phyllostachys nigra

イネ科

A medium-sized bamboo of the Poaceae family with somewhat slender culms and prominent nodal rings. Native to China, it is used for bamboo shoots and crafts.

White-flowering Japanese Dandelion🌼

Taraxacum albidum

キク科

A perennial herb of the Asteraceae family, a native dandelion common in western Japan. It is characterized by white ray florets and grows on roadsides and in grasslands.

Kanto Dandelion🌼

Taraxacum platycarpum

キク科

A native Japanese dandelion distributed from the Kanto region to southern Tohoku. Distinguished from the introduced Taraxacum officinale by involucral bracts that stand upright (rather than reflexing). A sexual diploid that flowers only in spring, producing seeds through normal pollination.

Kansai Dandelion🌼

Taraxacum japonicum

キク科

A native Japanese dandelion distributed from Kansai to Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Like the Kanto dandelion, its involucral bracts do not reflex, and it is a sexual diploid that flowers only in spring. Slightly smaller flower heads and narrower involucres than the Kanto species.

Japanese Plum🌸

Prunus salicina

バラ科

A deciduous small tree of the Rosaceae family native to China. In early spring it produces white flowers resembling those of the Japanese apricot, and in early summer it bears reddish-purple fruits.

Onoe's Weeping Fern

Lepisorus onoei

ウラボシ科

A small evergreen fern of the Polypodiaceae family that grows epiphytically on rocks and tree trunks. It is smaller than the related nokishinobu with narrower fronds.

Summer Mandarin Orange🍊

Citrus natsudaidai

ミカン科

An evergreen small tree of the Rutaceae family that bears large citrus fruits with a strong sour flavor in early summer. Hagi City in Yamaguchi Prefecture is known as a notable production area.

East Asian Yellow Water-lily

Nuphar japonicum

スイレン科

A perennial herb of the Nymphaeaceae family that grows in ponds and slow-flowing water, sending thick rhizomes into the mud. In summer it produces yellow cup-shaped flowers above the water surface.

Gentian🌸

Gentiana zollingeri

リンドウ科

A biennial herb of the Gentianaceae family, a small gentian that grows at bright forest edges and in grasslands. In spring it produces small, bluish-purple tubular flowers.

Chinese Violet Cress🌼

Orychophragmus violaceus

アブラナ科

A biennial herb of the Brassicaceae family native to China, also known as hanadaikon or shokatsusai. It has naturalized in many regions, covering fields with purple cruciform flowers in spring.

Dead-nettle🌿

Lamium album

シソ科

A perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family that forms colonies at forest edges and in grasslands. Whorls of white to pale pink lip-shaped flowers arranged in leaf axils are likened to dancers (odoriko).

Star Jasmine🌸

Trachelospermum jasminoides

キョウチクトウ科

An evergreen woody vine of the Apocynaceae family that climbs other objects using adhesive roots. In early summer it produces fragrant white pinwheel-shaped flowers.

Tiger Lily🌷

Lilium leichtlinii

ユリ科

A perennial herb of the Liliaceae family that grows in damp grasslands and at forest edges. In summer it produces recurved orange-red flowers resembling the tiger lily but without aerial bulbils.

Tsukushi Rose🌸

Rosa multiflora var. adenochaeta

バラ科

A deciduous climbing shrub of the Rosaceae family, a wild rose distributed along riverbanks around Kyushu (the Tsukushi region). It produces pale pink flowers in early summer.

Cottonweed🌼

Pseudognaphalium affine

キク科

A biennial herb of the Asteraceae family, known as gogyo, one of the seven spring herbs. It is covered with white woolly hairs and bears yellow flower heads in corymbs.

Nipplewort (Japanese)🌼

Lapsanastrum apogonoides

キク科

A small winter annual in the Asteraceae. This is the true 'hotokenoza' of Japan's seven herbs of spring, not the modern plant of the same name (which is Lamium amplexicaule in the Lamiaceae). Grows as a flat rosette on paddy edges and wet fields, with small yellow ligulate heads.

Double File💧

Pollia japonica

ツユクサ科

A perennial herb of the Commelinaceae family that forms colonies on forest floors. Its large leaves resemble those of Japanese ginger (myoga), and in summer it produces white flowers in whorls followed by bluish fruits.

White Spider Lily🌺

Lycoris albiflora

ヒガンバナ科

A bulbous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, the white-flowered form of the red spider lily (a natural hybrid with shokizuisen). It produces white to pale yellow flowers around the autumn equinox.

Green Leopard Plant🌼

Farfugium japonicum

キク科

An evergreen perennial herb of the Asteraceae family that grows near coasts and in gardens. It is characterized by leathery, glossy leaves and yellow flower heads that bloom in late autumn.

Himalayan Cedar🌲

Cedrus deodara

マツ科

An evergreen conifer of the Pinaceae family native to the Himalayas. Its beautiful conical form makes it popular as a park and street tree.

Prickly Pear🌵

Opuntia dillenii

サボテン科

A succulent of the Cactaceae family (genus Opuntia) with flat, paddle-shaped stem segments. It has long been naturalized in warm regions of Japan and grows in colonies on rocky coasts.

Brazilian Waterweed

Egeria densa

トチカガミ科

A submerged aquatic plant of the Hydrocharitaceae family native to South America, naturalized and proliferating in ponds and waterways throughout Japan. Its long, narrow leaves are arranged in whorls along the stem.

️🌺

Hibiscus hamabo

アオイ科

A deciduous shrub of the Malvaceae family that grows in coastal salt marshes and estuaries. In summer it produces yellow hibiscus-like flowers.

Galanthus🌺

Galanthus nivalis

ヒガンバナ科

A bulbous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family native to Europe. It produces small nodding white flowers in early spring and was named for its habit of flowering even through snow.

Mango🍂

Mangifera indica

ウルシ科

An evergreen tree of the Anacardiaceae family, a representative tropical fruit. It is cultivated in warm regions and produces sweet, orange-yellow fruits.

Hibiscus🌺

Hibiscus cv

アオイ科

An evergreen shrub of the Malvaceae family, a tropical ornamental. Each flower lasts only a day but new large flowers open successively, and it is used for hedges and container cultivation in warm regions.

Sticky Chickweed🌸

Cerastium glomeratum

ナデシコ科

A biennial herb of the Caryophyllaceae family native to Europe, widely naturalized in urban areas in recent years. It is densely covered with sticky glandular hairs and bears small white five-petaled flowers.

Satsuki Azalea🌸

Rhododendron indicum

ツツジ科

An evergreen shrub of the Ericaceae family named because it blooms in May (satsuki), later than other azaleas. It is popular as bonsai and for hedges, with many cultivars.

Tree Moss

Climacium japonicum

コウヤノマンネングサ科

A moss of the Climaciaceae family that grows upright on forest floors, spreading pinnate leaves like an umbrella at the top of its stem. It is notably large among mosses.

Japanese Hemlock🌲

Tsuga sieboldii

マツ科

An evergreen conifer of the Pinaceae family that grows in temperate mountain forests. Its leaves are short with rounded tips, and the undersides have two white stomatal bands.

Japanese Torreya

Torreya nucifera

イチイ科

An evergreen conifer of the Taxaceae family with sharply pointed leaves. Its seeds yield oil and are also roasted for eating, and its wood is the finest material for go and shogi boards.

Kawazu Sakura🌸

Prunus lannesiana

バラ科

A cherry of the Rosaceae family thought to be a natural hybrid discovered in Kawazu Town on the Izu Peninsula. It is an early-flowering variety that produces deep pink flowers from February over an extended period.

Hogweed🌿

Heracleum sphondylium

セリ科

A large perennial herb of the Apiaceae family that grows along mountain streams. It produces large compound umbels bearing many small white flowers.

Medicinal Spikemoss

Selaginella involvens

イワヒバ科

An evergreen fern ally of the Selaginellaceae family that grows on rocks and tree trunks. Its stems are erect and branch in the upper portion, spreading in a pinnate arrangement.

Great Scented Liverwort

Conocephalum conicum

ジャゴケ科

A liverwort of the Conocephalaceae family that forms large thalli on rocks and soil along damp streams. The thallus surface has a hexagonal pattern resembling snake scales.

Small Appendages Cremastra🌸

Cremastra appendiculata

ラン科

A perennial herb of the Orchidaceae family that grows on forest floors. At the tip of its flowering stem it bears pale purplish-red flowers arranged somewhat to one side, resembling a general's baton (sahai), which gives the plant its name.

Jack In The Pulpit🌿

Arisaema japonicum

サトイモ科

A collective term for perennial herbs of the Araceae family (genus Arisaema) whose stems have markings resembling the mamushi pit viper. They bear a spathe and produce red corn-like aggregate fruits in autumn.

Pomelo🍊

Citrus maxima

ミカン科

An evergreen tree of the Rutaceae family, a large citrus also called buntan (pomelo). Its fruits can reach the size of a softball with thick rind.

Timber Bamboo🌾

Phyllostachys reticulata

イネ科

A large bamboo of the Poaceae family and a representative bamboo species of Japan. It is widely used for bamboo crafts and construction material, and flowers synchronously on a roughly 120-year cycle.

Triangular Club-rush

Schoenoplectus triangulatus

カヤツリグサ科

A perennial herb of the Cyperaceae family that grows in wetlands and along water. Its stems are erect and triangular in cross-section, bearing cymose inflorescences at the top.

Japanese Spindle Tree

Euonymus japonicus

ニシキギ科

An evergreen shrub of the Celastraceae family that grows wild near coasts and is widely planted as a hedge. In autumn, its pale pink fruits ripen and split open to reveal orange-red seeds.

Ribbon Fern

Neocheiropteris ensata

ウラボシ科

An evergreen fern of the Polypodiaceae family named for its simple leaves resembling chestnut (kuri) leaves. It grows both epiphytically on tree trunks and rocks and terrestrially in forests.

Sakaki

Cleyera japonica

サカキ科

An evergreen small tree of the Pentaphylacaceae family, a representative tree used in Shinto rituals. Its leaves are leathery and entire, and in early summer it produces small, nodding white flowers.

Oriental False Hawksbeard🌼

Youngia japonica

キク科

A biennial herb of the Asteraceae family commonly found on roadsides and in fields. It extends a stem and bears small yellow flower heads sparsely along it.

Wright's Viburnum

Viburnum wrightii

レンプクソウ科

A deciduous shrub of the Adoxaceae family that grows in mountains. In early summer it produces white corymbs, and in autumn it bears red edible fruits.

Prickly Sow-thistle🌼

Sonchus asper

キク科

An annual herb of the Asteraceae family native to Europe, naturalized throughout Japan. Its leaf spines are sharp, harder and more painful to touch than those of the related sow thistle.

Marsh Labrador Tea🌸

Ledum palustre

ツツジ科

An evergreen low shrub of the Ericaceae family that grows in raised bogs of Hokkaido and Tohoku. The undersides of its leaves are densely covered with brown hairs, and it produces small white flowers in early summer.

Amur Daylily

Hemerocallis dumortieri

ワスレグサ科

A perennial herb of the Asphodelaceae family that grows in grasslands of Hokkaido and Tohoku, also called ezo-kanzou. In early summer it produces large orange-yellow flowers.

Jack In The Pulpit🌿

Arisaema heterocephalum

サトイモ科

A perennial herb of the Araceae family (genus Arisaema), a rare species distributed in the Hitoyoshi region of Kyushu. It is small and distinctive in producing two flowering stalks.

Japanese Staunton Vine

Stauntonia hexaphylla

アケビ科

An evergreen woody vine of the Lardizabalaceae family that grows in warm regions. It is related to akebi but has evergreen leaves and produces fruits that do not split open when ripe.

Smartweed🌿

Persicaria longiseta

タデ科

An annual herb of the Polygonaceae family commonly found along rice paddy ridges and roadsides. Affectionately known as akamanma, it produces small red flowers in spikes.

Japanese Buttercup🌸

Ranunculus japonicus

キンポウゲ科

A perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family, also called kinpouge. Its name derives from the leaves resembling a horse's hoof print, and it produces glossy yellow five-petaled flowers in spring.

洋梨 La France Pear🌸

Pyrus communis

バラ科

A deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family native to Europe. Its fruit, the European pear, is more elongated and gourd-shaped than the Japanese pear and has a stronger fragrance.

Japanese Hamanasu Rose🌸

Rosa rugosa

バラ科

A deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family that forms colonies on coastal sands of northern Japan. Its large reddish-purple flowers are strongly fragrant, and its spherical fruits are also called hamanashi.

Tiger Lily🌷

Lilium lancifolium

ユリ科

A large perennial herb of the Liliaceae family that produces recurved orange-red flowers in summer. It reproduces vegetatively by producing aerial bulbils in the leaf axils.

Suckling Clover🌿

Trifolium dubium

マメ科

An annual herb of the Fabaceae family native to Europe, naturalized in lawns and along roadsides. Its small yellow flowers resembling those of clover are gathered in spherical heads.

Buttercup🌸

Ranunculus cantoniensis

キンポウゲ科

A perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family that grows in damp places. It resembles kitsune-no-botan but is hairier overall and has fruits with nearly straight tips.

Statice

Limonium sinuatum

イソマツ科

An annual or perennial herb of the Plumbaginaceae family native to the Mediterranean region. Its papery calyx retains its color even when dried, making it popular for dried flower arrangements.

Water Caltrop

Trapa natans

ミソハギ科

A floating-leaved plant of the Lythraceae family (genus Trapa) that produces fruits smaller than those of Trapa japonica with four horns. It grows in ponds and rice paddies.

つくね芋 Tsukune Potato

Dioscorea opposita

ヤマノイモ科

A climbing perennial of the Dioscoreaceae family, a cultivated form of Japanese yam grown for its edible tubers. It is a variety of nagaimo with spherical to fist-shaped tubers.

Japanese Pagoda Tree🌿

Styphnolobium japonicum

マメ科

A deciduous tree of the Fabaceae family native to China. In summer it produces pale yellowish-white pea-like flowers in panicles, and it is planted as a street tree and park tree.

Musk Melon

Cucumis melo

ウリ科

An annual climbing herb of the Cucurbitaceae family native to Africa and West Asia. Various cultivars are grown as fruit, including both greenhouse and field-grown types.

Pride-of-Rochester🌸

Deutzia crenata

アジサイ科

A deciduous shrub of the Hydrangeaceae family that produces white conical inflorescences in early summer. Known affectionately as u-no-hana, it has hollow stems.

Siberian Lily🌷

Lilium pensylvanicum

ユリ科

A perennial herb of the Liliaceae family that grows on coasts and grasslands in Hokkaido and Tohoku. Its orange-red flowers face upward, and the bases of the tepals appear translucent (sukashi).

Japanese Superb Fig

Ficus subpisocarpa

クワ科

An evergreen tree of the Moraceae family (genus Ficus) that grows on warm coasts. It sends down many aerial roots and may entwine other trees, sometimes strangling them.

Lemon🍊

Citrus limon

ミカン科

An evergreen small tree of the Rutaceae family, a citrus native to the Himalayas. Its strongly acidic fruits are widely used in cooking and beverages.

Orange Daylily

Hemerocallis fulva var. longituba

ワスレグサ科

A perennial herb of the Asphodelaceae family, a variety or close relative of yabukanzou. It grows in meadows and along paddy ridges, producing single-flowered orange-red blooms in summer.

Red-stem Fig

Ficus variegata

クワ科

An evergreen tree of the Moraceae family (genus Ficus) distributed in subtropical and tropical regions. It is characterized by cauliflory, bearing its fig-like fruits directly on the trunk.

Golden Hardhack🌸

Potentilla fragarioides

バラ科

A perennial herb of the Rosaceae family that produces yellow five-petaled flowers in spring. It sends out rosette-like basal leaves, and its name refers to a mat (mushiro) where a pheasant (kiji) would sit.

Mountain Golden Saxifrage

Chrysosplenium japonicum

ユキノシタ科

A perennial herb of the Saxifragaceae family that grows along mountain streams. In early spring it produces small yellow-green flowers, and when the fruit splits, the appearance is likened to a cat's eye.

Cherry🌸

Prunus avium

バラ科

The fruit of a deciduous small tree of the Rosaceae family, the sweet cherry (Prunus avium). It produces white flowers in spring and ripens to small red fruits in early summer.

Nishiki Utsugi

Weigela decora

スイカズラ科

A deciduous shrub of the Caprifoliaceae family that grows in mountains of central Honshu and northward. Its flowers change from white to red, which gives it the name 'nishiki' (two-colored).

Yellow Flag

Iris pseudacorus

アヤメ科

A perennial herb of the Iridaceae family native to Europe. It grows along water and produces brilliant yellow flowers in early summer. It has naturalized in many regions.

Turnip🌼

Brassica rapa var. rapa

アブラナ科

A winter annual in the Brassicaceae. This is the 'suzuna' of Japan's seven herbs of spring. Native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia, grown for its swollen hypocotyl and taproot. Bears yellow 4-petaled flowers in a raceme. Belongs to the same species (*Brassica rapa*) as napa cabbage and komatsuna.

菜 百財 Napa Cabbage🌼

Brassica rapa

アブラナ科

A biennial herb of the Brassicaceae family, a representative leafy vegetable that forms a head. Native to northern China, it is harvested in winter and is a staple of hot-pot dishes.

Purple Magnolia🌸

Magnolia liliiflora

モクレン科

A deciduous shrub of the Magnoliaceae family native to China that produces purplish-red flowers before the leaves emerge in spring. It is widely planted as a garden tree.

Hirsute Raspberry🌸

Rubus hirsutus

バラ科

A deciduous low shrub of the Rosaceae family that grows at forest edges and in vacant lots. In spring it produces white five-petaled flowers, and in early summer it ripens red edible raspberry-like fruits.

Thunberg's Meadowsweet🌸

Spiraea thunbergii

バラ科

A deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family that bears small white five-petaled flowers like snow along its supple branches. It is widely planted in gardens and parks.

紫蘭 Chinese Ground Orchid🌸

Bletilla striata

ラン科

A perennial herb of the Orchidaceae family that produces purplish-red flowers in early summer. It is a hardy orchid widely cultivated, though wild populations are limited to scattered damp grasslands.

Lilac

Syringa vulgaris

モクセイ科

A deciduous shrub in the olive family native to southeastern Europe. In Japan it is also known by its scientific Japanese name 'Murasaki-hashidoi', and in French as 'Lilas'. It bears fragrant purple or white flower panicles in spring and is widely planted along streets and in gardens.

Avocado🌿

Persea americana

クスノキ科

An evergreen tree in the laurel family and its fruit. The Japanese name is 'Wani-nashi' (crocodile pear). The fruit is high in fat and nutritious, earning it the nickname 'butter of the forest'. Native to Central America; now cultivated worldwide, especially in Mexico.

Coriander🌿

Coriandrum sativum

セリ科

An annual herb in the carrot family native to the Mediterranean, introduced to Japan around the 10th century. Known in Japan by the old name 'Koendoro', the Thai-derived 'Paku-chi', and the Chinese-derived 'Shantsai'. Both leaves and seeds are used as food and spice, essential to ethnic cuisines.

Açaí

Euterpe oleracea

ヤシ科

An evergreen palm tree native to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Its Japanese names are 'Nibon-modoki' and 'Wakaba-kyabetsu-yashi'. The small dark-purple berries are rich in polyphenols and iron, and are known as a superfood.

Manchurian Wildrice🌾

Zizania latifolia

イネ科

A perennial grass growing in wetlands by water. Its seeds were eaten as grain in ancient China and Japan. The young shoot swollen by smut fungus infection, called 'Makomo-dake', is still used as a vegetable in Chinese cuisine.

Flowering Dogwood🌸

Cornus florida

ミズキ科

A small to medium deciduous tree in the dogwood family; its botanical Japanese name is 'Amerika-yamaboushi'. Native to North America, it was gifted to Japan in return for the cherry trees sent to Washington DC in 1912. Widely planted in gardens and as a street tree.

Konjac🌿

Amorphophallus konjac

サトイモ科

A perennial herb in the arum family, native to Southeast Asia, said to have been introduced to Japan along with Buddhism. The underground corm is processed into the food 'konnyaku', a long-established part of Japanese cuisine. It occasionally produces a large, foul-smelling flower.

Opium Poppy

Papaver somniferum

ケシ科

An annual herb in the poppy family. Because it is the source of opium, cultivation is prohibited in Japan under the Opium Law. It produces large, showy flowers; latex (opium) is extracted from unripe capsules. Seeds are used for food (poppy seeds) from legally allowed varieties only.

Common Fig

Ficus carica

クワ科

A deciduous tree in the mulberry family, native to western Asia, cultivated worldwide as a fruit tree. Many tiny flowers are borne inside a syconium, which becomes the fruit. Its Japanese name '無花果' ('no flower fruit') reflects that the flowers are hidden from view.

Alligator Weed

Alternanthera philoxeroides

ヒユ科

A perennial herb native to South America, naturalized as an invasive species worldwide—sometimes called 'one of the world's worst invasive plants'. Designated as a 'Specified Invasive Alien Species' in Japan since 2005. It forms dense mats in wetlands and waterways.

Kudzu🌿

Pueraria lobata

マメ科

A climbing, semi-woody perennial in the pea family, widely native to Japanese hills and fields. One of the 'seven flowers of autumn'. Its roots are used to make kudzu starch and the traditional medicine 'Kakkonto'. Abroad, it is notorious as an invasive species.

Baby Blue Eyes

Nemophila menziesii

ムラサキ科

An annual herb in the borage family; Japanese name 'Ruri-karakusa'. Native to North America, widely cultivated in Japan as an ornamental. Its bright blue 5-petaled flowers carpet the ground in spring; famous at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Okra🌺

Abelmoschus esculentus

アオイ科

An annual (perennial in the tropics) in the mallow family, native to northeast Africa; its long green fruit is eaten. Known for its mucilaginous texture, it is a common summer vegetable in Japan. Flowers are large, pale yellow with a dark purple center.

Satsuma Mandarin🍊

Citrus unshiu

ミカン科

An evergreen shrub in the citrus family. A Japanese native citrus said to have originated on Nagashima Island in Kagoshima. Seedless and sweet, it is the most common mandarin in Japan. Main production areas include Ehime, Wakayama, and Shizuoka.

Kiwifruit

Actinidia deliciosa

マタタビ科

A deciduous vine in the family Actinidiaceae. Bred in New Zealand from the Chinese gooseberry, it was named after the country's national bird, the kiwi. A temperate fruit tree with vitamin-C-rich green or yellow flesh.

Zha cai🌼

Brassica juncea var. tumida

アブラナ科

A biennial in the mustard family, and the name of the famous Chinese pickle made from its swollen stem. The species epithet 'tumida' means 'swollen'. Originated in Sichuan Province, it is widely used as an appetizer or stir-fry ingredient in Chinese cuisine.

Broccoli🌼

Brassica oleracea var. italica

アブラナ科

A green vegetable in the cabbage family, bred in Italy from a type of cabbage. The Japanese name is 'Me-hana-yasai' (bud-flower vegetable). The edible parts are the immature flower clusters and stalk. If not harvested, it produces numerous yellow flowers.

Common Ragweed🌼

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

キク科

An annual herb in the daisy family, native to North America and naturalized in Japan. A major cause of autumn hay fever. The Japanese name 'Buta-kusa' is a direct translation of the English folk name 'Hog-weed'. Grows in dense colonies on vacant lots and riverbanks.

Chinese Lantern🌿

Alkekengi officinarum

ナス科

A perennial herb in the nightshade family, native to East Asia. The calyx inflates into a large bladder-like husk that turns orange-red, enclosing the fruit. Traditionally used as a decoration during the Obon festival; the Asakusa 'Hoozuki Market' is well known.

Pomegranate

Punica granatum

ミソハギ科

A small deciduous tree in the loosestrife family. One of the oldest cultivated fruit trees. The fruit has a hard rind enclosing numerous seeds, each covered with a translucent red aril. Also widely grown as an ornamental garden tree.

Bushkiller

Causonis japonica

ブドウ科

A climbing vine in the grape family, one of the most common weeds in Japan. Its Japanese name means 'bush-killer', reflecting its vigorous growth that smothers thickets. Also called 'poverty vine'. The orange-colored floral disc attracts many insects including ants and wasps.

Tobacco🌿

Nicotiana tabacum

ナス科

An annual (perennial in the tropics) in the nightshade family, native to tropical America. Its leaves contain the highly addictive substance nicotine, used to produce cigarettes and other tobacco products. Bears large funnel-shaped pale-pink flowers.

Betel Palm

Areca catechu

ヤシ科

An evergreen palm found in the Pacific, Asia, and parts of East Africa. The seed (betel nut) is chewed as a stimulant similar to chewing tobacco, but is classified as carcinogenic—sometimes called the 'fruit of death'. The Malay word 'pinang' is the origin of Penang Island's name.

Chinese Hawthorn🌸

Crataegus cuneata

バラ科

A deciduous shrub in the rose family, native to south-central China. Introduced to Japan in 1734 as a medicinal tree at the Koishikawa Medicinal Garden. The small red fruit is used as traditional medicine, dried fruit, and in Chinese confections.

Lettuce🌼

Lactuca sativa

キク科

An annual or biennial in the daisy family, native to the Mediterranean and West Asia. Japanese name is 'Chisha'. Many cultivars exist: head lettuce, leaf lettuce, and stem lettuce (celtuce).

Rose of Sharon🌺

Hibiscus syriacus

アオイ科

A deciduous tree in the mallow family, native from China to India. Widely planted as a garden tree. Produces a succession of large white, pink, or purple flowers from summer to autumn. Each flower lasts only one day, opening in the morning and wilting by evening. National flower of South Korea.

Date Palm

Phoenix dactylifera

ヤシ科

An evergreen palm. The fruit, called dates, is a staple food in North Africa and the Middle East. Drought-resistant, it has been cultivated since ancient Mesopotamian times as one of the world's oldest crops.

Almond🌸

Prunus amygdalus

バラ科

A deciduous tree in the rose family, native to Central Asia. Japanese name is 'Hentou' (flat peach). A close relative of apricot and peach. The fruit flesh is thin and not eaten, but the inner seed (kernel) is consumed worldwide as a nut. Flowers are pale pink, similar to cherry blossoms.

Green Pepper🌿

Capsicum annuum 'Grossum'

ナス科

A perennial (annual in temperate zones) in the nightshade family. A sweet cultivar of Capsicum with little pungency. The fruit is mostly hollow inside and typically harvested while still green. Fully ripened red or yellow variants are called paprika.

Black Pepper

Piper nigrum

コショウ科

A climbing vine in the pepper family, native to India and cultivated throughout the tropics. Its fruit, called the 'king of spices', is processed into black, white, or green pepper depending on the method. The pepper trade fueled European maritime expansion in the 15th century.

Peanut🌿

Arachis hypogaea

マメ科

An annual in the pea family; standard Japanese name is 'Nankin-mame' (Nanking bean). Uniquely, after pollination the ovary stalk pushes into the soil, where the pods develop underground. The seeds are widely consumed as peanuts.

Olive

Olea europaea

モクセイ科

An evergreen tree in the olive family, native to the Mediterranean. The fruit yields olive oil and is also eaten directly. In Japan, Shodoshima is the iconic production area. Valued for its attractive silvery-gray leaves and distinctive form.

Cacao🌺

Theobroma cacao

アオイ科

An evergreen tree in the mallow family. The genus name Theobroma means 'food of the gods' in Greek. Native to Central and South America, its seeds (cacao beans) are the raw material for chocolate and cocoa. Notable for cauliflory—flowers and fruit grow directly on the trunk.

Oat🌾

Avena sativa

イネ科

An annual grass in the oat genus. Known as 'oat' in English. The grain is used to make oatmeal and is also widely cultivated as animal feed.

Arrowhead

Sagittaria trifolia 'Caerulea'

オモダカ科

An aquatic perennial in the water-plantain family, a cultivar of threeleaf arrowhead. The corm is edible and traditionally served in Japanese New Year dishes. Leaves are distinctively arrow-shaped.

Passion Fruit

Passiflora edulis

トケイソウ科

A subtropical climbing vine in the passionflower family. Native to the Americas. The flower has a distinctive clock-face-like form. The fruit is aromatic and tart, used in juices and desserts.

Sorghum🌾

Sorghum bicolor

イネ科

An annual grass in the family Poaceae. Also known as 'kaoliang' in Chinese. The world's fifth most-produced cereal, tolerant of drought and semi-arid conditions. Used for food, feed, brewing, and industrial purposes.

Victory Onion🌺

Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial in the onion genus. Grows in subalpine zones of Hokkaido and Honshu. Has a strong garlic-like odor; young shoots are prized as a wild mountain vegetable. The name alludes to ascetic monks who ate it.

Bitter Melon

Momordica charantia var. pavel

ウリ科

An annual climbing vine in the gourd family. Known as 'Tsuru-reishi' in standard Japanese, commonly called 'Goya' or 'Nigauri'. Native to tropical Asia. The fruit is covered with bumpy protrusions and has a distinctive bitter taste. Famous as an ingredient in Okinawan stir-fry (goya champuru).

Pawpaw

Asimina triloba

バンレイシ科

A deciduous tree in the custard apple family, native to eastern North America. The hardiest member of its family. The ellipsoidal fruit has yellow, custard-like flesh that is sweet and aromatic, earning it the nickname 'forest custard cream'. Introduced to Japan in the Meiji era.

Chinese Peony

Paeonia lactiflora

ボタン科

A perennial in the peony family, native to northeast Asia. Blooms large red, white, or pink flowers in early summer. Along with tree peony, one of the most iconic ornamental flowers. Single and double varieties exist. The root is used in traditional Chinese medicine ('shakuyaku').

Queen of the Night🌵

Epiphyllum oxypetalum

サボテン科

An evergreen succulent in the cactus family, native to Mexican tropical rainforests. Famous for its large, pure-white flowers that bloom only at night and wilt by morning. The Japanese name 'Gekka-bijin' means 'beauty under the moonlight'. Emits a strong fragrance.

Devil's Trumpet🌿

Datura metel

ナス科

An annual in the nightshade family, also called Datura. Known as 'Mandara-ge' (sacred flower). Introduced to Japan in the Edo period as a medicinal plant. The entire plant is highly toxic (scopolamine, atropine, etc.). Hanaoka Seishuu developed an anesthetic from this plant.

Siberian Iris

Iris sanguinea

アヤメ科

A perennial in the iris family. Grows in wild grasslands. Distinguished by a net-like pattern at the base of the petals, which gives it the name 'Ayame' (pattern). Often confused with kakitsubata and hanashobu, but differs in preferring dry land.

Cassava

Manihot esculenta

トウダイグサ科

A tropical shrub in the spurge family, native to Central and South America. Widely cultivated as a staple crop in the tropics. The swollen tuberous root is rich in starch and is the raw material for tapioca. Raw roots contain cyanogenic compounds and require proper processing.

Korean Ginseng

Panax ginseng

ウコギ科

A perennial in the ginseng family, native to northeast China and the Korean Peninsula. Also known as 'Korean ginseng'. The root is highly valued in traditional medicine. Unrelated to the common carrot (Apiaceae) despite sharing the Japanese name 'ninjin'.

Saffron Crocus

Crocus sativus

アヤメ科

A bulbous perennial in the iris family, believed to originate from Iran and cultivated since the Bronze Age. The dried red stigmas produce 'saffron', one of the world's most expensive spices. Used to color and flavor dishes like paella and bouillabaisse.

Japanese Enkianthus🌸

Enkianthus perulatus

ツツジ科

A deciduous shrub in the heath family. In spring it bears many small, white, urn-shaped flowers resembling lily-of-the-valley. Known for brilliant scarlet autumn foliage. Widely used for hedges and gardens.

Garlic Chives🌺

Allium tuberosum

ヒガンバナ科

A perennial in the onion genus, native to China. A quintessential East Asian vegetable. Has a distinctive strong odor and is widely used in stir-fries and dumpling fillings. White flowers bloom in umbels in autumn. One of the 'five pungent herbs'.

Holly Osmanthus

Osmanthus heterophyllus

モクセイ科

An evergreen small tree in the olive family. White, fragrant flowers bloom in clusters in winter. The leaves have spiny margins; the tree is used as a charm against evil spirits during Setsubun. Mature trees produce leaves with fewer spines.

Koshiabura

Chengiopanax sciadophylloides

ウコギ科

A deciduous tree in the ginseng family. Young shoots have a strong aroma and rich flavor, ranking alongside 'tara-no-me' (angelica tree buds) as a prized wild mountain vegetable. Superb when deep-fried as tempura. Its resin was historically used as a lacquer called 'gonzetsu'.

Chinese Artichoke🌿

Stachys sieboldii

シソ科

A perennial in the mint family, native to China. Introduced to Japan in the Edo period. The spiral, shell-shaped tubers formed on the roots are eaten. Dyed red, they are served as a lucky charm in traditional New Year dishes. Written with auspicious characters meaning 'long life and joy'.

Spicebush🌿

Lindera umbellata

クスノキ科

A deciduous shrub in the laurel family. Named 'Kuromoji' (black letters) after the dark markings on its bark. The aromatic wood is used to make premium toothpicks, and the toothpick itself is sometimes called 'kuromoji'. Also used for herbal tea and aromatherapy oil.

Rosemary🌿

Salvia rosmarinus

シソ科

An evergreen shrub in the mint family native to the Mediterranean. Japanese name 'Mannenrou'. The small, needle-like leaves have a sweet, fresh aroma. Widely used as a culinary herb for meat dishes. Essential oil obtained by steam distillation is also used medicinally and in aromatherapy.

Lily of the Valley🌿

Convallaria majalis var. keiskei

キジカクシ科

A perennial in the asparagus family. Despite the Japanese name ending in 'ran' (orchid), it is not an orchid. Also called 'Kimi-kage-sou'. Grows in colonies in highlands, producing small white bell-shaped flowers. All parts contain toxic cardiac glycosides.

Pistachio🍂

Pistacia vera

ウルシ科

A deciduous small tree in the cashew family. Mainly cultivated in Iran and the United States. The green seeds are eaten as nuts and widely used in confectionery and cooking. The shells naturally split open, and the nuts are often sold already half-opened.

Marigold🌼

Tagetes

キク科

A general term for Tagetes species cultivated as ornamentals in the daisy family. Japanese name 'Kou-ou-sou' (red-yellow flower). Native to Mexico. Known for vivid yellow and orange flowers and a distinctive odor that repels pests; often used as a companion plant in vegetable gardens.

Asparagus🌿

Asparagus officinalis

キジカクシ科

A perennial in the asparagus family. Japanese name 'Oranda-kijikakushi'. Young shoots are eaten as vegetables. The amino acid asparagine was first isolated from this plant. White asparagus is produced by blanching (blocking sunlight). The leaf-like parts are actually finely branched stems.

Agarwood

Aquilaria

ジンチョウゲ科

A tree in the daphne family. 'Jinkou' (agarwood) refers to the resin-infused wood that forms as a defense response when the tree is wounded or infected. Used as a prized incense wood. Not all wood yields agarwood, making it very rare. The highest grade is called 'kyara'.

Komatsuna🌼

Brassica rapa var. perviridis

アブラナ科

A leafy vegetable in the cabbage family. Developed around the Komatsugawa area of Edo-period Tokyo, and named after it. Has a mild flavor and is essential in Kanto-style zoni (New Year's soup). A cultivar of Brassica rapa, the same species as turnip and napa cabbage. Known as 'KOMATSUNA' internationally.

Sal Tree

Shorea robusta

フタバガキ科

An evergreen tree in the Dipterocarpaceae. Famous in Buddhism as the sacred tree under which Buddha entered parinirvana. In Japanese temples, however, trees labeled 'sala' are usually Stewartia pseudocamellia, not the true sal tree. Native to India and Southeast Asia.

Jerusalem Artichoke🌼

Helianthus tuberosus

キク科

A perennial in the daisy family. Introduced from North America. Produces yellow chrysanthemum-like flowers in summer and edible tubers underground. The inulin in the tubers is said to help regulate blood sugar and gut flora, drawing attention as a health food.

Common Poppy

Papaver rhoeas

ケシ科

An annual in the poppy family native to Europe. Also called 'Gubijin-sou' (Consort Yu flower), 'Coquelicot', or 'Shirley poppy'; often simply called 'poppy' in horticulture. National flower of France and Poland. Unlike opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), this species is legal to grow.

Feijoa

Acca sellowiana

フトモモ科

An evergreen shrub in the myrtle family, native to Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. The green ovoid fruit has a distinctive sweet aroma reminiscent of pineapple and banana. Cold-hardy and also prized as a garden plant. The flowers have showy red stamens.

Ramie

Boehmeria nivea var. nipononivea

イラクサ科

A perennial in the nettle family, distributed from South Asia to East Asia. Long cultivated as a fiber plant; also called 'Chouma' or 'Mao'. The stem fibers are of high quality and prized for fine textiles such as Echigo-jofu and Miyako-jofu ramie cloth.

Freesia

Freesia refracta

アヤメ科

A half-hardy bulbous plant in the iris family, native to South Africa. Funnel-shaped flowers bloom in a one-sided spike on a slender stalk, with a strong sweet fragrance. Also called 'Asagi-zuisen' and 'Kousetsu-ran'. Widely cultivated as cut flowers and potted plants.