Flower news
Shows and festivalsNow's The Time To Grab That Bag Of Winterizer - WJBO Lawn & Garden ShowDiscoveriesUW-River Falls professor discovers new orchid species in PalauIn bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeFloristryThis Family-Owned Florida Florist Is Celebrating 50 Years—Here’s The Secret To Their Blooming SuccessGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodShows and festivalsNow's The Time To Grab That Bag Of Winterizer - WJBO Lawn & Garden ShowDiscoveriesUW-River Falls professor discovers new orchid species in PalauIn bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeFloristryThis Family-Owned Florida Florist Is Celebrating 50 Years—Here’s The Secret To Their Blooming SuccessGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of food
Phool

🇯🇵 The flowers of Japan

217 pages from Japan: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 60 cities and regions.

Japan’s plant life is shaped by its wide range of climates, from subtropical islands to snowy mountains. About a third of its roughly 7,000 plant species are found nowhere else. The country is especially known for cherry blossoms, maples, azaleas, and chrysanthemums.

The plant life of Japan

Japan’s flora reflects its long north-south stretch and varied terrain. The country’s mountains, islands, and changing climate—from subtropical in the south to cold temperate in the north—support a rich mix of plants. Forests cover much of the land, with both evergreen and deciduous trees. The diversity is especially high in the southern Ryukyu Islands. Many species are unique to Japan, thanks to its isolation and complex geological history. The mix of monsoons, altitude, and latitude creates distinct plant zones.

From region to region in Japan

In the south, evergreen forests dominate, especially on the Ryukyu Islands, Shikoku, and Kyushu, with trees like Castanopsis and Machilus. Central Japan’s higher ground and Hokkaido’s uplands have summer-green forests, where Japanese beech is common. Subalpine and alpine zones in northern Honshu and Hokkaido support dwarf pines and cushion plants that can survive harsh winters and poor soils. Coastal and inland areas show different mixes of species, shaped by altitude and exposure.

Flowers to know in Japan

Japan is famous for cherry blossoms (sakura), Japanese maple (momiji), azaleas, and chrysanthemums. Many plants, such as Glaucidium palmatum and Anemonopsis macrophylla, are found only in Japan. The country’s forests also feature camellias, oaks, and beech trees. Pine species like Pinus pumila and Pinus amamiana are notable in alpine and island habitats. The diversity of endemic species is especially marked in the southern islands.

Threats and protection in Japan

About 1,690 plant species in Japan are endangered, threatened by habitat loss, over-collection, and climate change. The country maintains a red list of at-risk species and has increased conservation efforts in recent decades. These include research, restoration, and collaboration between government and non-government groups. Despite the threats, Japan has seen some success in protecting its unique plant life.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of Japan", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in Japan

All 12
🇯🇵 Tokyo · Feb to NovShinjuku Gyoen through the seasonsA large former imperial garden in central Tokyo with a long cherry season and an autumn chrysanthemum show. 🇯🇵 Hitachinaka · Apr to OctNemophila hill at Hitachi Seaside ParkA hill by the Pacific covered in small sky-blue flowers in spring and red kochia bushes in autumn. 🇯🇵 Kanazawa · All yearKenroku-enOne of Japan's most celebrated landscape gardens, with something in flower in almost every season. 🇯🇵 Tokyo · All yearOta Market flower auctionJapan's biggest wholesale flower market, where early risers can watch the auction from a gallery. 🇯🇵 Kyoto · All yearAn ikebana lesson in KyotoLearn the basics of Japanese flower arranging in the city where the art took shape. 🇯🇵 Tokyo · Mar to AprCherry blossom season in TokyoAbout a week of pale pink along moats, rivers and parks, and the picnics that go with it.

Cities and regions of Japan

Tokyo 16Kyoto 10Kyushu 4Okinawa 4Bunkyō 3Hiratsuka 3Hokkaidō 3Honshu 3Shikoku 3Kantō 2Nagoya 2Nara 2Ryukyu Islands 2Sendai 2Aichi Prefecture 1Akishima 1Akita 1Akkeshi 1Asagaya 1Ashikaga 1Chikusa-ku 1Chiryū 1Chōfu 1Daigo-zakura 1Ehime 1Ehime prefecture 1Fukushima 1Ginza 1Hakone 1Hakusan 1Hyōgo 1Hyōgo Prefecture 1Ina 1Itami 1Izu Islands 1Izu Oshima 1Izu Peninsula 1Jindai-zakura 1Kagoshima 1Kanagawa Prefecture 1Kawazu 1Kinchakuda Plateau 1Kobe 1Kōchi 1Kochi prefecture 1Koma Shrine 1Koshimizu 1Kumamoto Prefecture 1Matsumae 1Matsushima, Miyagi 1Midori-ku, Yokohama 1Mie 1Mie Prefecture 1Miharu Takizakura 1Motoyama 1Nagano Prefecture 1Nagasaki 1Nago 1Nezu 1Notsuke Peninsula 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
KindWildflowerGarden flowerCut flowerFlowering treeFlowering shrubBulb flowerClimberOrchidWater flowerCactus or succulentAlpine flowerTropical flowerHerb or useful flower
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
PeachPrunus persica A flowering fruit tree from China, grown for its pink blossoms and sweet fruit 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree BirchBetula Slender trees with papery bark found across the northern world 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Wild cherryPrunus avium A tall flowering tree native to Europe, grown for its sweet fruit and spring blossom 🇮🇹 Italy and 6 more · Flowering tree LindenTilia Tall, broad-leaved trees with fragrant yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree HawthornCrataegus A thorny shrub or tree with white or pink spring flowers and small edible fruits 🇮🇪 Ireland and 7 more · Wildflower Camellia Evergreen shrubs and trees with showy blooms, best known for tea and garden flowers 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Garden flower DogwoodCornus Woody trees and shrubs with showy bracts and colorful berries 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Persian silk treeAlbizia julibrissin A small tree with pink, silky starburst flowers and fern-like leaves 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Flowering tree Sargent's cherryPrunus sargentii A hardy cherry tree with single pink blossoms from Japan, Korea, and nearby regions 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 more · Flowering tree Prunus itosakura糸桜 A long-lived wild cherry of Japan with clouds of pale flowers before the leaves 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 more · Wildflower Kousa dogwoodCornus kousa A small East Asian tree with showy white bracts and sweet red berries 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 more · Flowering tree Japanese snowbellStyrax japonicus A small tree with hanging white bell flowers from East Asia 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 more · Flowering tree Princess treePaulownia tomentosa A fast-growing tree with large violet-blue flowers and broad leaves 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree Crape myrtleLagerstroemia indica A summer-flowering tree with crinkled blooms in white, pink, purple or red 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree ApricotPrunus armeniaca A spring-flowering fruit tree with white or pink blossoms and orange-yellow fruit 🇦🇲 Armenia and 7 more · Flowering tree Prunus 'Kanzan'Prunus ‘Kanzan’ A Japanese cherry tree with large, deep pink double blossoms 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 more · Flowering tree Cherry blossomPrunus subgenus Cerasus The spring-blooming flower of ornamental cherry trees, central to Japan’s hanami custom 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 more · Flowering tree KumquatCitrus japonica A small citrus tree from China with edible, sweet-sour orange fruits 🇨🇳 China and 2 more · Flowering tree Fragrant screw-pinePandanus odorifer A small tropical tree with sweet-scented flowers used for perfume and rituals 🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Flowering tree Japanese flowering cherryPrunus serrulata The cherry tree grown for its spring blossom in Japan and beyond 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Flowering tree OliveOlea europaea Evergreen tree grown for its fruit and oil across the Mediterranean and beyond 🇪🇸 Spain and 7 more · Flowering tree Paulownia泡桐 A fast-growing East Asian tree with pale violet foxglove-like flowers 🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Flowering tree SnowbellStyrax A genus of shrubs and small trees with drooping white flowers 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 more · Flowering shrub Prunus mume The fragrant plum blossom tree that blooms in winter across East Asia 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Flowering tree CamelliaCamellia japonica A flowering shrub or small tree with rose-like blooms in red, pink or white 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub Gardenia A fragrant white-flowered shrub from tropical regions worldwide 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Flowering shrub Satsuma mandarinCitrus unshiu A sweet, easy-peeling citrus fruit grown in Japan, China, and beyond 🇯🇵 Japan and 5 more · Flowering tree Japanese mountain cherryPrunus jamasakura Tall wild cherry tree of Japan with spring blossoms and edible fruit 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 more · Wildflower Taiwan cherryPrunus campanulata An early-blooming cherry tree with deep pink, bell-shaped flowers 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Flowering tree Magnolia sieboldii A summer-blooming magnolia with white, cup-shaped flowers from East Asia 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Flowering tree Hong Kong CamelliaCamellia hongkongensis A rare camellia tree from Hong Kong with red flowers 🇭🇰 Hong Kong and 1 more · Flowering tree

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly bunch

Every Monday: what is in bloom, the flower festivals of the week, seven flowers you may not know and one tradition explained.