Summer flowers in Japan: lilies

I saw some lilies blooming earlier this week in the hills of Saitama Prefecture. I also saw some last week in the lowlands (pictured). But the main displays of lilies in Saitama Prefecture generally bloom in July. However, in other parts of the Kanto plain, lilies can be seen in June. Overall, they can bloom anytime from May to September. The season for lilies in Hokkaido spans from early summer to early September. However, they are usually only in full bloom for about a week, ten days if you're lucky, so if you want to see lilies in their prime its important to do your research.

There are some species of lily that are native to Japan, including 'yamayuri' (mountain lily), but I will actually do another post for them, because they are special! And for the record, 'red spider lilies', which bloom in September, are not part of the lily family (contrary to what Google AI says!). They belong to the amaryllis family, specifically the genus Lycoris. There are many different species of lily in Japan. And you can see various different colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink and red. 

The lily is the birthday flower of July 24th. In Japan, in the 'hanakotoba' language of flowers lily represent purity, innocence and dignity. Each of the colors also have an unique meaning too. For example, the yellow lily represents cheerfulness and the mountain lily (yamayuri) represents magnificence.

Have you seen any lilies in bloom yet this year?