Chinese Plum Blossoms
Posted on March 24, 2012
by Brian Jaress
I finally had a chance to revisit Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) while the Chinese plum (梅) trees were in bloom. Most Japanese strongly prefer cherry blossoms (桜) which bloom later, but Katie and I both prefer Chinese plum.
I actually went twice, once alone on a rainy day and then again on a sunny day with Katie.
The flowers were white, pink, and red, and they had a wonderful smell. I wish I could capture the sense of being there in these pictures, but I can’t.
One of the neat things about Chinese Plum is how twisted and bent the trunk and branches can be. It creates a beautiful effect with the flowers.
