Summer flowers in Japan: Hydrangea

Hydrangea flowers are one of my personal favorites. Thankfully, they are really popular in Japan so you can see gorgeous displays of hydrangea all over the country. When I first came here I assumed that they were introduced from Europe. But I soon found out that there are species of hydrangea that are native to Japan. And they have been around for a very long time, some evidence suggests millions of years and the there is mention of them in Japanese literature as early as the 8th century. They are called "ajisai" in Japanese. Sometimes its written in Kanji 紫陽花, sometimes in Katakana アジサイ, but probably most often in hiragana あじさい。

The average period of bloom of hydrangea varies by region. In the Kanto plain, when I first came to Japan it was from mid June to early July. But in recent years its mostly June they seem to bloom, with a few exceptions. They are in bloom right now. However, due to the unusual weather patterns, including less rain, they aren't looking great this year. Again, there are some exceptions. I have seen some really beautiful displays, where the hydrangea are mainly in the shade. Hydrangea do prefer the shade. They can grow out of the shade, but with the type of sun rays we are getting lately, they literally get burnt out in the sun.

There are many different colors and species of hydrangea in Japan. The white Annabelle species are particularly popular. The flower language of white hydrangea in Japan is "tolerance". Overall the flower language of hydrangea is quite negative. In both Japanese and English one of the flower meanings is "cold" as in a person is cold. In Japanese it can also mean fickleness and ruthless. Among the few positive meanings is "patience"! I wonder who ever decided such beautiful flowers could mean such negative things! 

Have you seen any hydrangea yet this year? Any places you recommend for viewing in your area?