ウメUme (plum blossom)

Prunus mume, known by the common name Chinese plum (which also applies to P. salicina), is a species of tree in the rose family. It is also referenced by its flowers as plum blossom. Despite being referred to as a plum, it is classified in the Armeniaca section of Prunus, making it an apricot.

The plant was introduced from China to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The flowers are appreciated for their characteristic fragrance. In East Asian cuisine (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), the fruit is used in juices and sauces, as a flavoring for alcohol, and may be pickled or dried. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Mei flowers, or meihua (梅花), which bloom in the late winter and early spring, notably during the spring festival (春節), symbolize endurance, as they are the first to bloom despite the cold; the flower is one of the Three Friends of Winter. The plant is of high cultural importance to China.

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