Special Report: Japan

Japanese Larch, Patchy (10/19/18) Julie Kirby

5th Station, Mt Fuji, Japan (10/19/18) Julie Kirby

5th Station, Mt Fuji, Japan (10/19/18) Julie Kirby

Japan is renowned for its beautiful autumn colors. So, when color spotter Julie Kirby wrote saying she was traveling to Japan and hoped that the Japanese maple would be peaking, I encouraged her to send pictures.

She was there as fall color was at the upper end of Patchy, so the forests were not full of gold, orange, crimson and auburn. Though, her photographs show the beauty that a Japanese autumn promises.

Japanese Larch, 5th Station, Mt Fuji, Japan (10/19/18) Julie Kirby

Among the colorful trees Julie saw was the Japanese Larch, Larix kaempferi. This deciduous conifer was in the process of changing from green to yellow.

No similar deciduous conifers are native to California. Though, the Western Larch, Larix Occidentalis, grows in the northwest (bright yellow); the Subalpine Larch, Lariz lyallii, is a golden yellow native to parts of Canada and the northwest U.S.; and the Tamarack larch, Larix laricina, is native to northern Minnesota and Canada (orange-yellow).

Virginia creeper, Lake Ashi, Japan (10/19/18) Julie Kirby

Virginia creeper, Takayama, Japan (10/21/18) Julie Kirby

Just as we love Japanese maple, so too the Japanese return the favor with an affection for North American Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia. 

Julie saw brightly draped walls of purple, maize and scarlet Virginia Creeper flourishing on Honshu (Japan’s largest island) at Takayama and Lake Ashi.

Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan (10/23/18) Julie Kirby

Sakura (cherry), Kanazawa, Japan (10/22/18) Julie Kirby

Curiously, Virginia creeper, growing in North America, are being eaten voraciously by invasive Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica, a specie of scarab beetle.  Whereas, in Japan, the beetle is not similarly destructive because they are controlled by native predators.

The Japanese are famous for their artistic gardens. Julie found beautiful trees at the Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa hinting of Autumn’s glory to emerge in coming weeks, Sakura, Prunus serrulata (cherry) trees now drop orange, red and golden leaves that spiral downward to reflecting ponds coursed by colorful koi fish. 

Thinking about that image inspires Autumn Haiku:

Autumn winds twirling,
Lifting leaves of gold and red,
How I love the dance!

— Karen Ball

Leaves that spiral down
to still, reflective waters;
Autumn in Japan.

— John Poimiroo

• Honshu, Japan – Patchy (10-50%)

Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa (10/23/18) Julie Kirby