Naming Plants at Koishikawa Botanical Gardens

Part of the fun of going to the Koishikawa Botanical Gardens is discovering new plants and learning their names. That the garden is owned by the University of Tokyo adds to the educational experience.

Magnolia flowers in bloom.

Cercis chinensis bunge, or Chinese rebud.

Cornus officinalis, or Japanese cornel, a species of dogwood.

This tree had a hollow with a sliver thin enough for a small person to get in through.

Rhododendrons, prepping for their bloom.

Corylopsis spicata, or winter hazel, in the witch hazel family.

Eventually a patch of small strawberries.

Does the Japanese maple leaf flower?

Lonicera gracilipes. This page makes me think this shrub is native to Japan and cannot be found elsewhere. The flowers are small and star-like.

Camellia trees, which always seem to flower like crazy.

Two ibises in view.

I was surprised to see the yellow-green color around its eyes.