Okinawa

<p>Pink hibiscus flowers on Taketomi island</p>

Pink hibiscus flowers on Taketomi island (Photo: Mandy Bartok)

Okinawa

Flowers of Taketomi

A range of floral color in the Yaeyama islands

Mandy Bartok Jun 09, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Pink hibiscus flowers on Taketomi island</p>

<p>The hibiscus flowers also come in other hues, such as this deep red</p>

<p>Peacock flower? Butterfly bush? I only found this in one or two areas on the island but it's beautiful</p>

<p>Bougainvillea is a popular site, growing all over the island's stone walls</p>

<p>I thought at first this was a "mirabilis jalapa" (four o'clock flower) but as they're native to Peru, that's probably wrong. Thoughts??</p>

<p>I am fairly certain this is a clematis (in one of my favorite shades, as well!)</p>

<p>These leaves were incredibly unique, yet I haven't been able to find any species information </p>

<p>This plant has a long scientific name (Russelia equisetiformis) but is more commonly known as the firecracker plant</p>

<p>You don't even have to leave the airport to find many varieties of orchids</p>

Taketomi is one of the islands in the Yaeyama island chain, the southernmost islands of the Japanese archipelago. While the island is known for its white coral roads, tiled houses and carts pulled by water buffalo, it is also a paradise for flower lovers. You can find many species here, from the wide-petaled hibiscus (once planted by outhouses to purify the air) to the delicate orchid and many more in between. Despite some serious research, I am lacking the names of some of these so if you're good with flowers, please leave any corrections in the comments!

Mandy Bartok

Mandy Bartok @mandy.bartok

Japan resident for 10 years, with time spent in Okinawa, Kumamoto and Tokyo.