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What are the differences and connections between wintersweet and plum blossom?

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Wintersweet is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub. The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils of one-year-old branches; the sepals and petals are not clearly differentiated, the outer whorl is yellow, the inner whorl often has purplish-brown stripes, with a waxy texture, and the fragrance is strong. Wintersweet and plum blossom share similarities: both bloom before leafing out, both flower in winter and spring, and both are fragrant.

Wintersweet is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub. The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils of one-year-old branches; the sepals and petals are not clearly differentiated, the outer whorl is yellow, the inner whorl often has purplish-brown stripes, with a waxy texture, and the fragrance is strong. Wintersweet and plum blossom share similarities: both bloom before leafing out, both flower in winter and spring, and both are fragrant. The differences between the two lie in 5 aspects:

First, the color is different
Plum blossom comes in many colors such as white, pink, deep red, and purplish red; wintersweet is mainly wax yellow, and other colors are rarely seen.

Second, the flowering period is different
Wintersweet opens around the twelfth lunar month, which is about 2 months earlier than the flowering period of plum blossom.

Third, the crown is different
Plum blossom is a tree, with a trunk, and can reach several meters in height; the branches often bear thorny spurs, and besides straight branches there are also weeping branches and twisted branches, with the crown forming an irregular rounded shape; wintersweet is a shrub, with clustered branches, and the branches are upright, the root crown is very well developed and block-like, the clustered branches are 2-4 m tall, and the main stem is 4-10 m.

Fourth, the leaves are different
Plum blossom leaves are alternate, broadly ovate to ovate, 4 to 10 cm long; wintersweet leaves are opposite, nearly leathery, long elliptic, entire, rough and green on the upper surface, and smooth and gray on the underside.

PS: The fragrance of plum blossom and wintersweet is also different. If you smell a plum blossom carefully, it gives off a subtle fragrance, light and fresh and elegant; while wintersweet, when smelled carefully, also reveals a delicate scent, but this fragrance is rather rich and stronger than that of plum blossom.

The above is the introduction to the methods for distinguishing plum blossom from wintersweet provided by Duorou Huapu; we hope this article can be of some help to everyone!

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