When Does Plum Blossom (Yumei) Bloom? Meaning and Detailed Differences from Pear Blossom

Plum blossom, as the name suggests, is the flower of the plum tree. Everyone has probably eaten plums, also called Yumei, known in ancient times as Jiaqingzi. Plum blossoms are famous for their pure white beauty and elegant freshness, and their fragrant scent makes them deeply loved by people. When do plum blossoms generally bloom? The blooming period of plum blossoms varies by region and specific variety, mostly opening in spring. As for the specific month, in the south it is usually March, and north of the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River line it is April to May.

Because plum blossoms are entirely white with a delicate fragrance, their flower meaning is purity, symbolizing pure and spotless beauty.

In addition, plum blossoms also have skincare benefits. Mash 10 grams of plum blossoms with 30 grams of honey and apply to the face once a day to remove acne and make the complexion radiant and rosy. If plum blossoms are mixed with chicken blood and applied to the face, the effect is even better.

Many people cannot tell pear blossoms and plum blossoms apart and often confuse the two. What are their differences?

Pear blossom:

1. Blooms in clusters, with stamens tinged with red.

2. Both flowers and leaves are relatively large, and leaves grow as the flowers bloom.

3. Petals are pure white as snow, and stamens are slightly pink.

Plum blossom:

1. Blooms in clusters, with small and finely textured flowers.

2. Blooms in mid-spring, with leaves growing at the same time as flowering.

3. Petals are pure white, and stamens are pale yellow.

In one sentence, the main difference between plum blossoms and pear blossoms is the stamens: plum blossom stamens are yellow, and pear blossom stamens are red. If you see flowers with pure white, plump petals blooming in clusters among green leaves, with dark stamens slightly tinged with red (almost turning completely carmine when they are about to fade), then that is pear blossom; if you see something a bit like cherry blossom, fine and delicate, hazy and soft, clustered into a mass of white, but with no notch in the petals, no horizontal lines on the bark, and with stamens, petals, and leaves all fine and small, then it is most likely plum blossom, the most fresh-and-delicate, modestly lovely one among them.

Poems about plum blossoms (partial)

Peach blossoms smile and plum blossoms laugh, spring fills the garden; why am I listless as if sick? ——Wang Wei

In February along the mountain and water roads of Jiangnan, plum blossoms fall scattered and spring has no master. ——Lu Yan

Swallows flying in is an ordinary thing; by the time plum blossoms open, spring is no longer the same. ——Shao Yong

Only when white is interspersed with red is it brocade; sparse peach and scattered plum do not make spring. ——Yang Wanli

Plum blossoms are best seen from afar and in abundance; only from afar and in abundance are they worth viewing. ——Yang Wanli

Plum blossoms half fallen, snow piles up; before long peach blossoms continue to open. ——Yang Wanli

Peach paths and plum lanes have faded from spring glory; a cup of wine and fragrant feelings contend with the night. ——Tang Yin

Peach blossoms vie in red, their color deep in vain; plum blossoms open pale white and are lovely on their own. ——Li Fu

Plum blossoms are no less white than mume blossoms; at leisure they contend with mume blossoms how many times. ——Zhao Bixiang

A hundred twists of the maze-like tower cannot hold spring; willow catkins drift and plum blossoms open. ——Wang Shucheng