1、 Morphological characteristics

1. Flowers: plum blossoms generally open in winter and spring. They are mostly solitary, and there are also two combined. The flower diameter is between 2-2.5cm, with strong fragrance and mostly white and pink colors. Its pedicel is very short, less than 3 mm, and there is no hair. The calyx is reddish brown, the calyx tube is bell shaped, and the sepals are oval. Because its flowers bloom before the leaves, it is also a very unique scenery.

2. Leaves: Plum Blossom itself is a small tree with few shrubs. It is about 4-10 meters high, with light gray bark and green twigs. The leaves grow on the branches and are oval or oval in shape, 4-8 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide. The apex of the leaf is sharp, the base is wedge-shaped, the edge has small serrations, and the color is grayish green. Tender leaves and petioles are pilose, but they will gradually fall off when they grow up.

3. Fruit: the fruit of plum blossom is plum. The common tree is flower plum, which usually does not bear fruit, but fruit plum can bear fruit. Its fruit is spherical, yellow in color, green and white in some cases, with pilose surface and sour taste. The pulp and the core stick together, and the core is oval, with sharp tips at the top, flat on both sides, and honeycomb holes on the surface. Generally, it matures from May to June, and it will be postponed to July to August in North China.

2、 Other features

1. Not afraid of cold: a major feature of plum blossom is not afraid of cold. As a flower blooming in winter, no matter what wind and snow, it can not prevent it from flowering. Many poems mention that plum blossom is an ornament in the snow and a unique color in cold winter.

2. Long life: another characteristic of plum blossom is long life. There are many long-lived plants, but few such as plum blossom can live to a thousand years. There are thousands of ancient plum in many parts of China. One in Hubei is even more than 1600 years old and is still open today.

3、 Picture