Mother’s Day Hydrangeas Ready to be Shipped in Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:52 JST, May 3, 2023

A new variety of hydrangea, which has petals that turn from white to red, is ready to be shipped from a farm in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, ahead of Mother’s Day on May 14. The Hakujuko variety was grown by Toshio Fujii, the head of the facility Mitsuru Shokubutsu Kenkyujo, and took him about 15 years to develop. The farm currently has more than 500 of the award-winning hydrangeas growing in its greenhouse. As hydrangeas are becoming increasingly popular as a Mother’s Day gift, the farm has received more orders from the Tokyo metropolitan area. “It’s a little difficult to grow, as it won’t turn red unless certain conditions are met, including being exposed to sunlight,” Fujii said. “But I’m glad more people want it.”