At Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, operated by 六甲山観光株式会社, the mycoheterotrophic plant Ginryosomodoki has bloomed again.
Ginryosomodoki has no chlorophyll and instead draws its nutrients from fungi. It gets its Japanese name from its resemblance to Ginryoso (Monotropastrum humile), a related plant that flowers in June. Outside of its flowering period it has no visible above-ground growth, and without the right conditions it may not appear at all, making it a rare sight. The garden confirmed a bloom in 2015, then saw no above-ground growth for years until 2022 — but since 2023 it has bloomed every year, drawing strong interest from visitors.
About Ginryosomodoki (Ericaceae)
Ginryosomodoki is widely distributed across temperate regions of East Asia and North America, and in Japan is found from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It grows in somewhat shaded spots within forests, reaching a height of about 10 to 30 cm. Known as a mycoheterotrophic plant, it draws its nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi. It has no chlorophyll, and its whole body is white with a slight reddish tinge. Because it flowers in autumn, it's also known by the alternate name Akino-Ginryoso.
At the garden, Ginryosomodoki is expected to remain in bloom for about another week.
Also Blooming: The Parasitic Plant Nanban-giseru
The parasitic annual plant Nanban-giseru (Indian broomrape, Aeginetia indica), which grows in mountains and fields, is also in bloom. Lacking chlorophyll, it doesn't photosynthesize, instead drawing nutrients and water from the roots of plants such as Japanese pampas grass and myoga ginger. It even appears in the Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest anthology of poetry, under the name Omoigusa. In the garden, it's expected to remain in bloom until around late September.
Autumn Culture Campaign: Free Admission for Children on Select Mondays
Co-hosted with Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE, the garden is running a campaign this autumn to expand local children's opportunities for cultural and nature learning. On the Mondays below — which often fall as substitute holidays for school events — admission for children of elementary school age and younger is free.
Dates: September 7, 14, and 28; October 5, 19, and 26; November 2, 9, and 16, 2026 (all Mondays)
Eligibility: Elementary school age and younger, with a single-venue or two-venue combined admission ticket covering both facilities. Group visits are excluded, and already-purchased tickets cannot be refunded.
Visitor Information
Open: Now through November 29, 2026 (Sunday). The garden is closed on some days — check the official website for details.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (ticket sales end at 4:30 PM)
Admission: Adults (junior high school age and up) ¥900; children (ages 4 through elementary school) ¥450
Parking: ¥1,000, or ¥2,000 on peak days (September 20 to 22)
Operations and events may be changed or canceled in the event of severe weather.
Official website: https://www.rokkosan.com/
