Prunus mume 'Kobai'

A warm day today  in the middle of some very cold weather & the Japanese Flowering Apricot is in it's glory. This winter blooming ornamental tree waits for a certain amount of cold temperatures & available light among other environmental triggers before bursting into bloom. Although the exact science is beyond my ken I notice also that not all the flowers open at once allowing new buds to open even though others are browned by frost. A spicy fragrance adds to the allure of this lovely tree.

My specimen is somewhat misshapen as a branch from the sweet gum tree fell on it in a storm but adds to it's quirky nature. It has corky bark and many crossing branches. Don't be afraid to cut these as it blooms on green wood and brought inside the buds open to perfume the room. Apparently J C Raulston was a huge promoter of this tree I got mine from a now defunct nursery many years ago. They come in white and paler pink. Known as plum blossom in Japan the Kairakuen garden has 3,000 specimens. What a sight that must be.