It doesn’t take long as you walk around, well, pretty much anywhere in Japan in July, to notice the many, many bushes filled with blue or purple flowers. These gorgeous plants are Hydrangeas, if you didn’t know. And yes, they are everywhere.
Native to Asia, there are lots of different varieties, but the type you’re most likely to see in Japan are these, the (I think, from some quick unconfirmed research) Hydrangea Macrophylla, or “Mophead.” In Japan it is called “ajisai” (紫陽花). The Kanji means (I think) “purple sunshine/warmth flower”, which pretty much describes it to a tee (even if most are blue!)
"Mophead" Hydrangeas, or Ajisai (紫陽花)
Most of the ones we saw had brilliant light blue flowers, but some have a pink to purple hue. The difference comes from the pH of the soil its planted in, with the more acidic yielding blue, and basic producing pink/purple.
Ajisai in Ueno Park
Absolutely stunning. There are numerous other varieties, some as vines, some have flowers that have a border around them…. but these were the most prevalant.
Here’s some more information, I know I’m going to be finding out if they can survive the climate here in Oklahoma…
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[...] a pleasant cakewalk compared to last time. The foliage this time of year is very different. The hydrangeas hadn’t even started leafing out yet, so there were a lot of “sticks” where last [...]