Japan vegetation
The flora of Japan is characterized by being enormously exuberant and varied, with up to 4,500 native plants. This derives from the climatic diversity of the Japanese archipelago, with a wide range of temperatures and high rainfall, and its humid and hot summers.
In Japan you can find more than 17,000 species of plants with or without flowers, many of them widely cultivated and very popular, such as white and red plum trees, cherry trees, azaleas, peonies, lotuses and, especially, the chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan.
Other important species include pimpernel, campanula, gladiolus, and many varieties of lilac. There are few wild flowers.
Forests
Almost 70% of Japan's land area is covered by forests. The predominant tree variety is coniferous. A common species is the sugi, or Japanese cedar, which can reach 46 m in height. Other notable evergreens include spruce and many varieties of fir.
The most common fruit trees in Japan are peach, pear, and orange.
Climatic zones
- Subtropical forest: In addition, in Kyushu, Shikoku and southern Honshu, subtropical trees such as bamboo, alcanfor tree and wax tree grow (Toxicodendron succedaneum), and the tea plant is cultivated.
- Tempered forest: The trees of the center and the north of Honshu are the typical of the temperate zone, such as the chestnut trees (Castanea japonica), the oaks (Quercus acuta, Quercus aliena, Quercus glauca, Quercus acutissima), the abedules (Betula maximowicziana), the olmos (Ulmus parvifolies). The lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) and the motto are cultivated extensively and the cypress, the boj and the murta are abundant.
- boreal forest: Predominate the forest of conifers. In Hokkaidō the vegetation is sub-artic and similar to that of southern Siberia. Pucea and southern fir trees are the most common trees, although there are also specimens of alder (Alnus japonica), poplars, abedules (Betula platyphylla, Betula ermanii) and beech (Fagus japonica and Fagus sieboldii).
Altitudinal zones
Japan is dominated by montane forests, which vary by altitude. If we take the eastern Pacific flank of central Japan as an example, we have the following altitudinal zones:
- Alpine zone: On the edge of the forest to more than 2500 m high, the alpine climate prevents the growth of trees, but the Japanese pine tree and other alpine plants can be presented.
- Subbalpine zone: Forests of perennifolios conifers, especially of fir trees.
- Mountain area: Beech forest, mizunara oak and other caducifolios between 700 and 1500 m high.
- Pedemontana area: Chinquapin forest, oaks and other leafy perennifolia.
Landscape Gardening
The Japanese practice a unique type of landscape gardening, in which they reproduce natural landscapes in stylized miniatures. They also cultivate dwarf trees called bonsai, which consist of ornamental plants that, when subjected to special cultivation techniques such as cutting roots and pruning branches, prevent their growth, thus achieving a height of around 30cm.