Kochia burning bushes prove fall highlight in eastern Japan's Ibaraki

Some 32,000 kochia burning bushes planted in an eastern Japan park have turned red as the fall foliage season takes hold, attracting many visitors.Shaped like a pom-pom, the approximately 60-centimeter tall plants in Ibaraki Prefecture's Hitachi Seaside Park have changed color from vibrant green to the flame-like red that gives them their name.The kochia, an annual species native to dry areas across Eurasia, grew somewhat smaller this year compared to average due to a long spell of rain this summer, according to the park.On Sunday, about 22,000 visitors strolled past the bushes on a hillsid…READ FULL ARTICLE