Table of Contents
One out of every ten Japanese individuals has a culture of owning a house plant or garden.
One thing is common in all Japanese gardens. It is the varied species of plants kept and how well these plants are taken care of.
Japanese gardens and gardeners are guided by a philosophical principle known as “wabi-sabi”.
“wabi-sabi” is a philosophical concept that favors the acceptance and appreciation of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
The “wabi-sabi” principle has its origin in the Buddhism principle of the three marks of existence, namely: impermanence, suffering, and selflessness.
In recent times, the culture of growing indoor plants has been adopted around the world as a means of adding to the aesthetic appeal of homes.
Some of these gardens are grown in ways that look like Japanese gardens and even adopt the system of growing Japanese houseplants native to japan.
An obvious reason for this is the fact that houseplants native to japan are beautiful and usually fill the owner with a sense of commitment towards its growth.
You should also know that Japanese gardens filled with Japanese houseplants, come with their gardening downside and challenges.
Yet, Japanese people have successfully mastered the art of growing these houseplants and caring for them from infancy until full blossom.
In this article, we outline the ten most popular Japanese indoor houseplants of all time, their characteristics, and how to care for them.
This article takes you on a tour of Japan and its flowers. Be ready to learn new words and gardening tips as we explore the secrets behind the beauty of Japanese gardens.
As we take you on a tour of these houseplants, keep your eyes open for Shaolin monks. We hear that they live in japan.
10 Popular Houseplants Native to Japan
Below is a list of popular houseplants native to japan and grown in Japanese gardens.
1. Japanese Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
2. Japanese Ajisai-Dera (hydrangea)
3. Japanese Elm Bonsai
4. Kokedama
5. Iris
6. Japanese Peace lily
7. Japanese Maple plant
8. Azalea
9. Japanese stonecrop
10. Japanese painted fern
Standard Japanese gardens have about two or more of these houseplants located where they can be seen.
It is usually a beautiful sight to behold given the aesthetic appeal it gives to the surrounding.
1. Japanese Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Cherry blossoms or Sakura are beautiful species of flowers native to East Asia and Japan.
It is held as the Japanese national flower. The Sakura houseplant has over a hundred known species that blossom during spring.
In Japan, the Sakura is symbolic of the nature of life. This is because of its beautifully colored flowers and its pattern of growth, blossoming, and death.
It is usually used as a symbol in many Japanese festivals and celebrations of life. The leaves of the Sakura are edible and are harvested to be used as spices in homes.
The leaves are also dried and used as tea. Eating a great amount of the leaves could result in toxicity because the leaves contain coumarin which is toxic if taken in high quantities.
To grow the sakura anywhere in the world, care has to be taken to follow the pattern used in Japanese gardens by the Japanese people.
The cherry blossom needs water to stay alive. But you have to take great care in applying water to your cherry blossom plant so you don’t overwater the plant.
The environment where your cherry blossom plant is located should have bright indirect sunlight and should be neat.
This reduces the possibility of pest attack. Use soil that is fertile and drains properly as well.
At full bloom, the Sakura plant is a beauty to behold, as it produces flowers that vary from pink to white. It is one of the favorite plants in Japanese gardens.
2. Japanese Ajisai-Dera (hydrangea)
This is the second favorite flower native to Japan and is found in Japanese gardens. Ajisai-Dera is the Japanese name for hydrangea.
The Ajisai-Dera is is a house plant comprising over 75 species. In most species of the Ajisai-Dera, the flowers are white, while in others, the flowers vary between blue, pink, and red flowers.
The Ajisai-Dera is notable for its symbolism of love. An Asian florist by the name of Tan Jun Yong said that the light delicate blush of the pink hydrangea reminds him of a beating heart.
Japanese gardens have soils with an acidy level that makes for the germination and bloom of only blue hydrangeas.
The Ajisai-Dera is greatly loved by Japanese people and they have temples to celebrate this plant.
The Ajisai-Dera does not require too much stress for garden care. It only requires good well-draining, fertile soil, sufficient watering, exposure to bright indirect light, and a moderate temperature.
3. Japanese Elm Bonsai
The Japanese elm is more of a dwarf flower tree than a regular flower.
Its green leaves and ability to stay green all year round are a great addition to the beauty of your living room or even dining room.
Most people favor the Japanese elm bonsai to feature in their gardens.
In Japanese gardens, the elm bonsai can grow up to 65 inches tall, but with various biological engineering brought about by evolving medical techniques, the elm bonsai can grow to full blossom as a dwarf tree.
To care for the Japanese elm bonsai plant, ensure that you maintain a moderate temperature and do not subject the plant to frequent temperature changes.
Water the plant when due and check regularly to ensure that there are no pest infestations on the plant leaves.
Application of fertilizer should be done at least once every three months.
4. Kokedama
Kokedama is a plant art that first began in Japanese gardens and has now gained popularity in all of East Asia and the world.
Kokedama is the art of suspending a plant and its root in the air and not on the ground or plant pot.
This art is done by digging up a plant and its root and placing the root in mud, then tying up the mud with strings that would not let fall away from the mud.
The mud serves as a plant pot for the fern or hydrangea or rose plant and keeps it nourished.
Ferns are the most popular plants used in this art because ferns have a greater possibility to survive out of the soil than other plants.
For the clay or moss of your plant Kokedama, you can either purchase an already made clay ball or decide to make one by yourself.
To make a moss ball, you would need a soil mixture with 15% peat, scissors, string, water, a spray bottle, gloves, a bottle, and some newspapers.
5. Iris
The Japanese language for the iris flower means a fleeting flower of summer. This is because the plant blooms for only a few days in summer.
It produces flowers of different colors and is a beauty to behold every time it blooms.
As an indoor plant, good soil should be used to cultivate it. The soil should be rich in potassium, and phosphorous.
Care should be taken in watering the iris plant as overwatering not only causes root rot but hampers blooming.
6. Japanese Peace lily
The Japanese peace lily is popularly cultivated for its beautifully shaped leaves and white colorations of flowers when they bloom.
They are pretty easy to grow and do not need much gardening care.
The Japanese peace lily requires good watering and adequate indirect sunlight.
The Japanese peace lilies are not resistant to cold and so prefer warm temperatures to thrive.
7. Japanese Maple plant
The maple plant can grow big and become trees. they are perennials native to East Asia and Japan.
They usually have foliage that grows into canopies and big shades.
The Japanese maple has leaves that vary from green to red and bright brown. They grow in temperate regions and can survive very hot climates.
The leaves wilt when the sunlight exposure is direct and sustained.
Their leaves look like the leaves of the Indian hemp but are a little broader in appearance.
It is usually grown indoors and transferred outside in Japanese gardens. You can control its growth indoors by pruning annually. Prune both the leaves and stems.
8. Azalea
Azaleas are a Japanese breed of plants cultivated asexually by cutting and sexually by germination.
They have evolved through time and currently have over a hundred different cultivars.
They produce flowers that vary in the color red to pink and purple; evergreens that blossom in early April.
Azaleas are fairly resistant to harsh conditions and can simply activate the dormancy state to survive harsh weather conditions.
A soil treated with compost is the best soil for the Azaleas.
9. Sedum makinoi (Japanese Stone Crop)
A moderate size, an easy-to-maintain feature, and a leaf arrangement that adds beauty to the home.
The Japanese stone plant is an evergreen perennial plant, grown in most Asian households.
It is a succulent that can grow under indirect and direct exposure to sunlight. It tolerates rapid temperature change and can survive very harsh conditions.
In applying water to the Japanese stonecrop, do not water the soil until it is dried from the previous water content.
A Japanese stone crop prefers dry and humid soil.
10. Japanese Painted Fern
As the name goes, the Japanese painted fern is a fern with different colors other than the usual green. It is a beautiful additive to home decoration. Some of the leaves are colored red; others, are pink, and some others have a silver variant.
The painted ferns grow well in good sunlight and temperature.
They are perennials that are best suited for temperate regions.
What is the Most Famous Houseplant in Japan?
Attractive and emitting a sweet scent, the Japanese cherry blossom is popular in households and Japanese gardens.
It has over a hundred species of it with varying beautiful characteristics. It is the unofficial national flower of Japan but can be found in almost every nation in the world.
The Japanese cherry blossom is called Sakura in the Japanese language.
What is the Most Popular Indoor Japanese Plant?
This has to be the Japanese Larch bonsai. The Japanese larch bonsai is the favorite of homeowners because of its greenery.
In winter, the leaves turn a little brown, but adequate watering keeps the leaves evergreen all year round and gives the home a natural appeal.
What Flower Represents Life in China
Chinese call life “Ju” and long life “jiu”. In China, long life is seen as a big deal and something to celebrate. The Chinese love to symbolize life in beautiful things and plants.
In China, the chrysanthemum flower is used to represent life. The chrysanthemum is a perennial plant that grows as an ornamental plant.
Other species of this plant are wild and are not cultivated as indoor plants. The chrysanthemum can stay a long while before they die.
This is why the Chinese people hold it dear as a representation of life.
What Is the Prettiest Japanese Flower
Again, the cherry blossom gets this award. You need to see a cherry blossom at full bloom.
The beautiful flowers, alluring and enchanting to behold, are grown in Japanese gardens and homes for their aesthetic appeal.
They blossom in spring and fill the room and streets with an aromatic smell and are a beautiful sight to behold.
Every Japanese who don’t already have a cherry blossom in their garden longs to have one.
This is why great care is taken in Japanese gardens to sustain the bloom of this pretty plant.
The cherry blossom plant lives so long and grows into cherry blossom trees.
Care should be taken to distinguish the cherry blossom flower tree from the cherry blossom fruit tree.
The flowering tree just produces flowers and no fruit, while the fruit tree produces small unpalatable edible cherry fruits that are usually nutritious for animals and humans.
Key Takeaways
In our tour through the ten popular houseplants of Japanese origin, we have said the following:
1. Japanese gardens and gardeners are guided by the philosophical principle called “wabi-sabi”
2. Cherry blossoms are the prettiest and most popular houseplant native to japan
3. The soil pH level in Japan is such that the Ajisai-Dera blooms only blue flowers which are greatly loved in Japan.
4. Kokedama isn’t necessarily a plant. It is rather a plant art that involves growing plants suspended in the air
5. Fern is the most popular plant used in Kokedama, but every other plant can be used as long as the moss ball has enough nutrients to foster its survival.
6. The chrysanthemum is a beautiful perennial plant that symbolizes life in china
7. The cultivation of houseplants native to Japan, has become a culture not just in Japan but everywhere in the world.
Conclusion
I bet you now have a good idea of these beauties(Houseplants native to Japan), and would want to have one growing someday in a plant pot within your living room or a garden just beside your house.
