10 Major Differences Between Plum Blossoms and Cherry Blossoms in Japan

1. The Name

Every year, cherry blossom season in Japan attracts many travelers from around the world, but many don't realize that both cherry trees, sakura, and plum trees, ume, bloom in Japan. Ume actually bloom a few weeks before the very popular sakura and offer a different experience as well as representing different things within Japanese culture.

2. The Flowers

Cherry blossoms are more elongated, with each petal slightly split at the tip. Different varieties have different shades of coloration, but most often they range from white to pink. Prunus mume flowers are rounder and often darker, even taking on purple hues.

3. The Branches, Stems, and Buds

Cherry trees have longer stems than plum trees, and their oval-shaped buds can each produce several flowers, whereasplum trees produce only one flower per bud, which are more rounded in shape.

4. The Leaves

Green or coppery in color, cherry treeleaves turn yellow or red in late fall. They are serrated and their petioles (leaf stalks) are quite short. unlike plum tree leaves, which are purple or reddish and oval in shape and appear during or shortly after the petals have fallen. You will only see the leaves grow after flowering.

5. The Bark

Cherry trees have fairly light-colored bark compared to the almost black bark of plum trees. Cherry tree bark can also be distinguished by its clearly visible horizontal lines and smooth texture. Plum tree bark, on the other hand, is quite rough.

6. The Silhouette

When cherry trees are in full bloom, the concentration of flowers is very dense, almost completely covering the branches. Plum trees have a sparser bloom and therefore attract less attention. Cherry trees are also generally taller, reaching heights of 8 to 12 meters, while plum trees grow to between 4 and 10 meters.

7. The Fragrance

Despite their beauty, which has always fascinated locals and tourists alike, cherry trees do not give off a particular fragrance, unlike plum trees, which smell of spring, with a sweet, floral scent.

8. The Blooming Period

If you're wondering why a cherry tree is already in bloom in the middle of winter, it's because you're admiring a plum tree. Prunus mume trees bloom from January to March and are a kind of preview of the hanami season that arrives a few weeks later. Cherry blossoms arrive with spring in mid-March and disappear with the start of the school year in early April.

9. The Significance in Japanese culture

The cherry blossom is one of the most iconic symbols of Japan. Used to represent the Japanese government, it was often associated with colonization, asthe Japanese planted many cherry trees in Korea and Taiwan to establish their occupation in both nations. However, it became a symbol of hope after World War II. Mentioned in literature and poetry and featured on traditional clothing and sports team jerseys, it is also painted and tattooed.

The plum blossom is the national symbol of China and signifies the arrival of the Chinese New Year. It is widely represented in Chinese art and literature. Although the hanami ritual in Japan began with plum trees, today the Prunus mume often takes a backseat to sakura. However, both are iconic symbols of spring.

10. The Uses

Japanese cherry trees do not produce fruit and are mainly there for aesthetics. As the main tourist attraction in spring, everyone tries their hand at hanami. The flowers and sometimes the leaves are used in traditional cuisine.

Prunus mume, in addition to being very beautiful and fragrant, produces numerous fruits that are the main ingredient in many Japanese delicacies. The best known is umeboshi, a very salty and sour plum, often used in the preparation of onigiri. Pick some ume, marinate them in liqueur for a few months, and enjoy a nice cold glass of umeshu, a sweet plum wine that is popular throughout the archipelago!

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