Now that July is here, the next two big events on the calendar are 1) the eventual end of the rainy season (more on that later), and 2) the countdown to one of Kamikochi’s busiest periods, the mid-summer season. One of the most welcome signs of the summer season proper has been the very recent arrival of many flowers only seen at this time of year. As is always the case with these pictorials, I’ll be letting the images do most of the talking. A big thank you to our friends at the National Park Guide website for granting us access to these beautiful pictures and the helpful explanations that were printed with them.
And now, wthout further ado…
If vibrant greens (“shinroku”) characterize Kamikochi as it awakes from the winter season into spring, then dramatic splashes of color are the characteristic tone of summer. Precisely which color a given flower takes on is determined by a variety of factors including its role in the eco system, the influence of environmental factors, the pH balance of the soil, and chemical composition of the flower itself.
The color red is in a part of the spectrum which is difficult for insects to see, so anything reddish is hue is less likely to attract “pollinators.”
“No bugs needed”: Reddish flowers like the camelia japonica (L) and the hybiscus are
less likely to attract pollinating insects.
Of course, this rule doesn’t apply equally to all insects. The butterfly family are more addept than most of their winged bretheren at seeing a variety of colors.
“We’re the exception!”
And birds typically possess an even greater eye for color than human beings, with vision which allows them to see tones outside of our spectrum.
Here we see some blossoms from a different part of the spectrum: on the left and below, an asian member of the lily family called lilium medeoloides and a flower variously called “monkshood” and “wolf’s bane” in the English speaking world:
Even with cool and rainy spells still in the forecast for the near future, the local flora and fauna are doing their best to welcome new visitors to Kamikochi. If you have any questions you’d like answered or comments you would like to share, be sure to visit us at https://www.facebook.com/kamikochi and leave a post on our wall.
That’s all for now. Be sure to check the weather forecasts and prepare accordingly so you can ensure an unforgettable visit to the Gateway to the Northern Alps!
Source of Information:
National Park Guide website: http://npg-alps.net
