The pom-pom plains

Trimmed into neat spheres like so many big red bunny tails, these tinted tufts (a type of tumbleweed) are the life of the party here at this park in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture. Bassia scoparia—also known as kochia, fireweed, or burning bush—takes on a deep crimson tone each autumn. Hitachi Seaside Park is carefully planted with seasonal flowers and shrubs, including kochia. Throngs of people attend the annual Kochia Carnival to wander winding paths amid the fall foliage—or view the blushing hills from up high on the park's Ferris wheel. Soon after the festivities, the plants dry out to release their seeds, which may be boiled and enjoyed as 'land caviar.'