What are the characteristics of plum blossoms? Pictures of plum blossoms

1. Morphological characteristics

1. Flowers: Plum blossoms usually bloom in winter and spring, mostly solitary, but there are also cases where two flowers grow together. The flower diameter is between 2-2.5 cm, has a strong fragrance, and is mostly white and pink in color. Its pedicels are short, less than 3 mm, and have no hairs. The calyx is reddish brown, the calyx tube is bell-shaped, and the sepals are oval. Since its flowers bloom before its leaves, it is a very unique sight.

2. Leaves: The plum blossom itself is a small tree, rarely a shrub, with a height of about 4-10 meters, with light gray bark and green twigs. The leaves grow on the branches, are oval or elliptical in shape, 4-8 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide. The leaves have a pointed tip, a wedge-shaped base, small serrations on the edges, and are gray-green in color. The young leaves and petioles are covered with soft hairs, but they will gradually fall off as they grow.

3. Fruit: The fruit of plum blossom is plum. The most common tree is flowering plum, which usually does not bear fruit, but fruit plum can bear fruit. Its fruit is spherical, yellow in color, sometimes greenish-white, with soft hairs on the surface and tastes sour. The flesh and the core are stuck together. The core is oval in shape, with a pointed tip, relatively flat on both sides, and honeycomb-like holes on the surface. It usually matures in May and June, but in North China it will be delayed to July or August.

2. Other features

1. Not afraid of severe cold: A major characteristic of plum blossoms is that they are not afraid of severe cold. As flowers that bloom in winter, no matter how strong the wind and snow are, they cannot stop blooming. It is mentioned in many poems that plum blossoms are the embellishment of the snow and the unique color of the cold winter.

2. Long lifespan: Another characteristic of plum blossom is longevity. There are many long-lived plants, but those like plum blossoms that can live for a thousand years are rare. There are thousand-year-old plum trees in many areas of our country. There is one in Hubei that is even more than 1,600 years old and is still blooming today.