As you head outside this morning you might find yourself staring at a cloud of light pink flowers in the canopy of a tree. The Purple-leaved plum (Prunus cerasifera) is widely planted in Seattle and is one of the earliest trees to put on its spectacular floral display here. Unlike the more delicate and earlier blooming Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella) this ornamental plum is a dependably disease-free and drought-tolerant plant that is remarkably easy to grow in our maritime climate. The dark purple leaves, which have yet to emerge, can prove a distinctive feature in an otherwise green summer landscape. Flowers of ornamental Prunus species will continue to bloom throughout the spring, peaking with the elegant Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) in the University of Washington Quad and culminating with the pure white Mt. Fuji (Prunus x shirotae) and more garish pink Kwanzan (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) Cherries.
Almost completely absent from this pageant of flowering trees in Seattle is my favorite member of the genus: the Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume) or Ume. A common subject of Chinese painting, its flowers and gnarled branches represent perseverance in winter and are usually depicted alongside the sturdy pine and bamboo. In Japanese poetry, Ume blossoms are kigo or season words for the emergence of spring. The tree even makes an appearance in Erza Pound’s Canto XIII, one of his ‘Confucian’ Cantos:
And Kung said, “Without character you will
be unable to play on that instrument
Or to execute the music fit for the Odes.
The blossoms of the apricot
blow from the east to the west,
And I have tried to keep them from falling.”
There are many varieties known to exist in the nursery trade, though few are seen locally. ‘Dawn’ is the most common, with clear pink double blossoms. It was named by the nurseryman W.B. Clarke, who also brought us ‘Peggy Clark’ (double rose-colored flowers) and ‘Rosemary Clark’ (semi-double white). A beautiful weeping form with double pink flowers was named after the man himself. There is ‘Kobai’ which appears to be sold as much for its fruit (pickled and preserved in Japan to produce a condiment called umeboshi) as for its pink flowers, and ‘Matsubara Red,’ with single, bright red petals.
Unlike most other Prunus species, the tree is remarkably long-lived. Why it’s largely unknown in our plant-loving region is something of a mystery. Local plant expert Arthur Lee Jacobson cites only a handful of specimens in his exhaustive and well-written Trees of Seattle and many are too small or badly pruned to matter.
The most astonishing property of Prunus mume is not the visual effect of its flowers - which are often as large as those found on Quince (Chaenomeles) - but their unusually delectable fragrance. The initial, gentle sweetness gives way to a complex and ultimately cool spiciness that is unlike anything I have ever experienced.
If you would like to buy a specimen for your garden, there is only one reliable local source who offers a choice of available varieties. Deep in the heart of Seattle’s Rainier Valley, at 4031 South Willow Street off MLK, is the Holly Park Greenhouse and Nursery. This place is as little-known and nearly as wonderful as the tree itself.
