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Nezu Jinja is a historic shrine established more than 1900 years ago. It’s famous for the 300-year-old beautiful azalea garden.

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During the months of April and May in Japan, you can view all kinds of blooming flowers. One of the most popular is azalea, or tsutsuji, that you can come across here and there. But, the most impressive sight of azalea is at the Nezu Shrine in Tokyo.

Nezu Jinja is a historic shrine established more than 1900 years ago. It's famous for the 300-year-old beautiful azalea garden. The garden has an area of about 6600 square meters and features approximately 3000 azalea plants of 100 species, including rare varieties and colors. Along with the flowers, visitors may enjoy a plant fair, an antique fair, and many festive stalls.

It took me a long time to see all of the azalea bushes and to take the photos, so I didn't have enough time to visit Nezu Jinja properly. It is a very beautiful shrine that reminds of Nikko by its decoration.

The annual festival is held approximately the same time from April 8 - May 5.

Event reports

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I love Japan very much! I like small towns of Japan where I can watch people doing their business and talk to them carefully. They're always friendly. I like Japanese gardens where I can just sit or walk and take my time. Also I like Shinto Jinja as being there I feel in peace. I like to watch sunsets and then to dine in some small local places. I like to soak into onsen after a long day of wandering. I like Japanese crafts very much as all items are made with great taste and skill. Nihon wo daisuki desuyo! My photos from Japan I also place here: https://gurushots.com/f10384/photos Matane!

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Bunkyo Azalea Festival 2021 - April/May Events in Tokyo

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During the months of April and May in Japan, you can view all kinds of blooming flowers. One of the most popular is azalea, or tsutsuji, that you can come across here and there. But, the most impressive sight of azalea is at the Nezu Shrine in Tokyo.

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Originally placed in a genus of their own, azaleas are now considered to be a form of rhododendron.Their brilliant flower colors have made them a sought-after shrub for centuries.

Azaleas and rhododendrons were once so infamous for their toxicity that to receive a bouquet of their flowers in a black vase was a well-known death threat.

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Originally placed in a genus of their own, azaleas are now considered to be a form of rhododendron. Azaleas can be divided into deciduous and evergreen types, and are mostly native to hilly areas with damp acidic soil. Their brilliant flower colors have made them a sought-after shrub for centuries.

Origins

Azaleas are members of the heath (Ericaceae) family, an ancient group of plants dating to 70 million years ago. They are related to rhododendrons, blueberries and pieris. Most azaleas we are familiar with today are descended from Asian shrubs, and were originally cultivated by monks of the Buddhist monasteries. When seeds of the Rhododendron luteum were sent to England from the shores of the Black Sea, it became parent to many azalea hybrids.

Azaleas in Asia

The azalea is the national flower of Nepal and is mentioned in ancient Chinese medical texts. Bai Juyi, a Tang Dynasty poet born in 772 A.D., loved azaleas and planted them in his yard. One of his poems referred to the plant as "a beauty amidst all flowers."

The Japanese traditionally divide the azalea into two classes: Tsutsuji include all those that flower 30 days after the spring equinox; Satsuki include those that flower about 30 days after the Tsutsuji types. Japanese azaleas made their first appearance in Holland in 1680. Known as Indian azaleas, they became popular greenhouse plants in Germany, Belgium, England and France.

Azaleas in America

There are at least 26 species of azaleas native to North America, including the flame azalea (R. calendulaceum) and fragrant white azalea (R. viscosum), also called the swamp honeysuckle. In the 1990s, two deciduous azalea species were discovered in Alabama.

Asian azaleas came to the United States via England. The first hybrids were planted in Charleston, South Carolina in 1848.

Callaway Gardens

Callaway Gardens, a resort in Pine Mountain, Georgia, is the site of the world's largest azalea garden. It was created to protect and preserve native azaleas. Founders Cason and Virginia Callaway discovered a bright orange-red azalea when picnicking near their home in 1930. Their appreciation of its beauty led to the establishment of what would eventually become a 13,000-acre tourist center and garden featuring an "Azalea Bowl" with more than 3,400 hybrid azaleas.

Classification

In placing azaleas in his plant classification system, Carolus Linnaeus used the number of flower stamens to distinguish between azaleas and rhododendrons. Most azalea flowers have five stamens, while rhododendrons have 10.

The classification of azaleas has changed somewhat since the time of Linnaeus. Recently, the term rhododendron has been used to mean plants with large evergreen leaves, and azalea to refer to plants with smaller and thinner leaves. Usually azaleas have more flowers but less impressive foliage than rhododendrons.

Legend of the Azalea

A Chinese folktale says that a long-ago king was assassinated and turned into a cuckoo. Because of the king's violent death, the cuckoo sang so bitterly that blood came from his bill. April is the time of the cuckoo's cries and brilliant red azalea blooms, thus the legend says the cuckoo dyed the flowers red.

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Originally placed in a genus of their own, azaleas are now considered to be a form of rhododendron. Azaleas can be divided into deciduous and evergreen types, and are mostly native to hilly areas with damp acidic soil. Their brilliant flower colors have made them a sought-after shrub for centuries.

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Alongside the azaleas and rhododendron, you’ll find a diverse assortment of flowering trees and shrubs, woodland perennials, bulbs, ferns and grasses.
Collections in this garden include dogwood, mountain laurel, hydrangea, spice-bush, witch-hazel, epimedium, hosta, hellebore, snow-drop, and ferns.

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Year-Round
The Mother's Day crescendo of white, coral, pink, and purple azalea blossoms is one of the Garden's most striking seasonal spectacles. Set amongst the dramatic rock outcrops, steep slopes and dappled shade of centuries-old native trees, this garden is beautiful throughout the seasons with plants in bloom nearly every day of the year. Alongside the azaleas and rhododendron, you'll find a diverse assortment of flowering trees and shrubs, woodland perennials, bulbs, ferns and grasses. Collections in this garden include dogwood, mountain laurel, hydrangea, spice-bush, witch-hazel, epimedium, hosta, hellebore, snow-drop, and ferns.
Follow along with the spring bloom using our Azalea Tracker!

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Maureen K. Chilton Azalea Garden Year-Round The Mother's Day crescendo of white, coral, pink, and purple azalea blossoms is one of the Garden's most striking seasonal spectacles. Set amongst the dramatic rock outcrops, steep slopes and dappled shade of centuries-old native trees, this garden is beautiful throughout the seasons with plants in bloom nearly every...

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The optimal soil for the Azalea should be acidic, organic, moist, fertile and well drained.
If planted outside the Azalea prefers a place with dappled shadow and sheltered conditions.
The potted house plant blooms the longest if you keep them in a cold room.

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Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!

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Learn How To Plant And Care for Your Azalea or Rhododendron

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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device. Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes.

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Arthur Robinson-Satsuki Bonsai Grower, Teacher and Demonstrator

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Arthur Robinson-Satsuki Bonsai Grower, Teacher and Demonstrator

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This guy is specialized in growing Azalea Bonsai.

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Arthur Robinson

Satsuki Bonsai Grower, teacher and demonstrator

I have been growing bonsai since 1960 and gradually over the last 20 years have concentrated more and more on Satsuki which have always been part of my collection. Now in 2008 I have 98% Satsuki and they number in the hundreds. I and two friends have started to bring in some choice varieties, some of which are very new with small flowers, which I am propagating and through both 3WM bonsai products and The Satsuki Society of Australasia Inc, will eventually distribute.

I have just completed a book on Satsuki called "Satsuki - from cutting to bonsai "and am hoping to publish within a year or so. Follow the links for more information when we have web sites up and running. In the meantime you can contact me on 61 (0)8 9572 3118 or on my email.

Fuji Mori ( Wisteria Woods )

Bought as field grown stock I have been developing it as bonsai for 5 years.

This does not appear in the usual Japanese catalogues but is mentioned in Frank Galle's book on Azaleas. It stands up to heat well and grows prolifically.

It seems to have plenty of Maruba ( Rhododendron Tamurae ) in it as can be seen by the rounded leaves. It is re-potted now every 3 - 4 years.

Salmon Spray ( Bobbink & Atkins Macrantha Hybrid )

This is a cross from the 1940s and this bonsai has been developed from a cutting taken 4.5 yrs ago. The western Australian Mediterranean climate gives us a good long growing season. In Japan they were surprised that it was as young as it is.

Blue Moon

A hybrid from Nuccio's nurseries in California. It is tough, never seems to burn and has lovely flowers. It is so easy to grow. This one is also 4.5 years old.

Fuji Mori

Another Fuji Mori, this is a cutting from the large tree, just 5 years old and is a featured example in my book, of how quite a nice young bonsai can be developed quickly using the correct techniques.

Pictures below show the same tree at 3 & 4 years of development.

Arthur Robinson
Violin Maker & Satsuki Bonsai Artist

Web Site designed by

All Information on these pages is COPYRIGHT of Arthur Robinson

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Arthur Robinson - Satsuki Bonsai Artist, teacher and demonstrator

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Arthur Robinson Satsuki Bonsai Grower, teacher and demonstrator I have been growing bonsai since 1960 and gradually over the last 20 years have concentrated more and more on Satsuki which have always been part of my collection. Now in 2008 I have 98% Satsuki and they number in the hundreds.

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"Mad Honey" and other Surprising Dangers.

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The Full Story

One of the earliest accounts of mass poisoning dates back to the first century BCE when Roman troops were allegedly poisoned with honey by the Heptakometes of Turkey. The Roman soldiers were reported to be confused and vomiting and subsequently defeated in battle after eating the honey. We now believe that they were given honey made from the nectar of the flowering plant Rhododendron luteum.

Azaleas are very close relatives of rhododendrons and can cause the same type of toxicity. The toxic component of rhododendrons and azaleas can be found in very high concentrations in honey made by bees that feed on them. This usually occurs in dense populations of these plants, particularly in the Mediterranean region. In fact, the majority of more recent reports of poisoning from rhododendron and azaleas occurred in Turkey where people ingested the poisonous honey produced accidentally by small-scale beekeepers. There are also a few reports of toxicity in people who intentionally ate the honey because of a false belief that it could help with some ailments.

The poisonous honey is commonly referred to as "mad honey," a nickname earned because of the confusion it is known to cause. The toxin can cause very low blood pressure and heart rate as well as irregular heart rhythm. These symptoms could be life threatening.

Ingestion of the "mad honey" is not the only way people have been poisoned by azaleas and rhododendrons. Eating the leaves, nectar, or flowers of the plants can also lead to toxicity. Although rare, serious and life-threatening toxicity has occurred when people intentionally ate the plant. Similar to myths surrounding "mad honey," there are some areas of the world where the plant is believed to have medicinal properties.

Poison Control is often called in the spring and early summer about children who put the flowers or leaves in their mouths or try to eat them, or when children mistake the flowers for honeysuckle and suck on the nectar of the azalea flower. Generally, only mild symptoms such as mouth irritation, nausea, and vomiting are expected from such cases. Still, it is important to keep a close eye on children and pets when they play outdoors to be sure they do not eat any flowers, leaves, fruits, or seeds. If azaleas or rhododendrons are kept indoors for decoration, be sure to keep them out of reach of children and pets. Finally, do not prepare food or tea from plants growing in the wild or in your yard.

Serkalem Mekonnen, RN, BSN, MPH
Certified Specialist in Poison Information

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One of the earliest accounts of mass poisoning dates back to the first century BCE when Roman troops were allegedly poisoned with honey by the Heptakometes of Turkey. The Roman soldiers were reported to be confused and vomiting and subsequently defeated in battle after eating the honey.

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Azaleas can bloom from late winter into early summer, depending on type. To extend the season, plant early-, mid-, and late-season bloomers. Here are a few of the azaleas we love most.