plum blossom

plural plum blossoms · alternative plum-blossom

1. A tree, Prunus mume, native to East Asia bearing an apricotlike fruit.

   The one hundred poems and images of flowering plum blossoms published in book form c.1238 by Song Boren [92] make up the earliest Chinese illustrated book where the pictures are meant as objects of aesthetic appreciation in their own right

   1993, Craig Clunas, Art in China, page 173

   Synonyms: Chinese plum, Japanese apricot, Japanese plum, meihua, mei-hua, ume

2. The blossom of this tree.

   The plum is associated with the start of spring, because plum blossoms are some of the first blossoms to open during the year. In most areas of Japan, including Tokyo, they typically flower in February and March.

   2020 January 16, “Japanese Plum”, in Japan Guide

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see plum, blossom.