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🇯🇵 The flowers of Japan

201 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 13Kyoto 10Kyushu 4Bunkyō 3Hiratsuka 3Hokkaidō 3Okinawa 3Shikoku 3Honshu 2Nagoya 2Nara 2Sendai 2Aichi Prefecture 1Akishima 1Akita 1Akkeshi 1Asagaya 1Ashikaga 1Chikusa-ku 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 1Kantō 1Kawazu 1Kinchakuda Plateau 1Kobe 1Kōchi 1Kochi prefecture 1Koma Shrine 1Koshimizu 1Matsumae 1Matsushima, Miyagi 1Midori-ku, Yokohama 1Mie 1Miharu Takizakura 1Motoyama 1Nagano Prefecture 1Nagasaki 1Nago 1Nezu 1Notsuke Peninsula 1Okinawa Island 1Osaka 1Patchwork Road 1Ryukyu Islands 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
KindWildflowerGarden flowerCut flowerFlowering treeFlowering shrubBulb flowerClimberOrchidWater flowerCactus or succulentAlpine flowerTropical flowerHerb or useful flower
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
Chrysanthemum菊花 Autumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyond 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Wildflower Hydrangea Flowering shrubs with large heads that change color with soil pH 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 more · Flowering shrub CloudberryRubus chamaemorus A golden berry of northern bogs and tundra, picked wild for food and drink 🇳🇴 Norway and 7 more · Wildflower Leopard plantFarfugium japonicum A shade-loving perennial with bold leaves and yellow autumn flowers 🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Garden flower Hubei AnemoneEriocapitella hupehensis A late-summer flowering perennial with purple, pink or white blooms 🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Wildflower Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla A Japanese shrub with large pink or blue flower heads that change colour with soil 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 more · Garden flower Formosa lilyLilium formosanum A tall, white, fragrant lily native to Taiwan with trumpet-shaped blooms 🇹🇼 Taiwan and 3 more · Wildflower Tricyrtis A shade-loving Asian perennial with spotted, trumpet-shaped flowers 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Wildflower Chrysanthemum japonense A white-flowered perennial daisy native to coastal Shikoku, Japan 🇯🇵 Japan · Wildflower Patrinia scabiosifolia A yellow-flowered perennial of East Asian meadows and gardens 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Wildflower Gentiana scabra A blue-flowered gentian native to East Asia, valued in traditional medicine 🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Wildflower Eupatorium japonicum白头婆 A tall perennial herb with corymbs of white, pink, or red-purple flowers 🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Wildflower Lycoris Bulb flowers of Asia, known for their bright blooms and leafless stems 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Wildflower BlueminkAgeratum houstonianum A fluffy blue annual often grown in garden borders and balcony boxes 🇬🇹 Guatemala and 7 more · Wildflower Sasanqua camelliaCamellia sasanqua An evergreen shrub with winter flowers and fragrant petals, native to southern Japan 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 more · Flowering shrub Cape jasmineGardenia jasminoides A glossy-leaved shrub with large, fragrant white flowers from East Asia 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub Crape myrtleLagerstroemia indica A summer-flowering tree with crinkled blooms in white, pink, purple or red 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree Bassia scoparia A bushy annual with red autumn leaves, used for brooms and as a food garnish 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Wildflower Mountain hydrangeaHydrangea serrata A compact shrub with blue or pink lacy flower clusters from Korea and Japan 🇯🇵 Japan · Flowering shrub Japanese cornelCornus officinalis A large shrub with yellow spring flowers and edible red berries 🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Wildflower Canada goldenrodSolidago canadensis A tall yellow-flowered perennial that spreads quickly by rhizomes 🇨🇦 Canada and 3 more · Wildflower Fringed Water-lilyNymphoides peltata A floating yellow aquatic plant with wavy leaves and fringed flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Water flower Garden cosmosCosmos bipinnatus A tall annual with feathery leaves and pink, purple or white daisy-like flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Witch-hazelHamamelis A winter-flowering shrub with strap-shaped yellow to red blooms 🇺🇸 United States and 2 more · Flowering shrub Black-eyed Susan vineThunbergia alata A fast-growing climbing plant with bright flowers and a dark centre 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower

Photo credits on this page

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

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