Hokkaido has a wide variety of flowers that grow in fields and gardens, bringing enjoyment from spring to autumn. Some can only be seen in Hokkaido, beckoning flower fans to regions rarely explored.
Here’s an introduction to the flowers that bloom in Hokkaido in each season, including some of the best viewing spots to guide you on your floral journey!
Hokkaido’s flower season lasts from April to October!
Hokkaido winters are long and severely cold, but magnificent flowers can be seen from when the snow melts in April to October when autumn leaves begin to fall.
The flower season is shorter than that of Honshu, but there are ways to enjoy flowers in Hokkaido that cannot be found in other prefectures.
Many native plants bloom only on remote islands and in unexplored regions. Given Hokkaido’s higher latitude, plants that live in the highlands of Honshu can be seen in lower areas in Hokkaido. Due to lower temperatures throughout the year, some flowers are also seen in different seasons than in Honshu.
The scale of the flower fields is also different, and there are fields all over Hokkaido that fill your entire field of vision.
Here are the flowers that can be seen from spring to autumn, listed by month.
Flowers in full bloom in spring (April to May)
Many early spring days in Hokkaido are still cold, and snow flurries can continue. However, even under such circumstances, some flowers still bloom and announce the arrival of spring.
Plants that bloom only in spring are called “spring ephemerals” because of their fragility and short life cycle, and in late April, cherry blossoms gradually begin to bloom, starting in southern Hokkaido.
Mizubasho (Skunk Cabbage)
・Best time to see: Mid- to late April
・Main viewing areas: Lake Abashiri (nearest station: JR Yobito Station), Onuma Quasi-National Park (nearest station: JR Onumakoen Station), Makunbetsu Swamp
The white flower-like portion of skunk cabbage is actually a leaf that wraps around a bud. The yellow columnar part in the center is the flower. Along the shores of Lake Abashiri from Abashiri to Memanbetsu, you can see one of Japan’s largest gatherings of skunk cabbage.
●Katakuri (Asian Fawn Lily)
・Best time to see: Late April to early May
・Main viewing areas: Otokoyama Nature Park, Nisekomachi Sakuragaoka Park (nearest station: JR Niseko Station), Urausu Shrine
Asian Fawn Lily is a perennial that grows in mountain forests and blooms only in early spring before retreating underground after summer. The characteristic flower faces downward and has three petals on the inside and three on t…
