Prunus mume (ume)
Originally uploaded by nofrills.
nears end.
Prunus mume, or ume in Japanese, is plum. They bloom a few weeks earlier than cherries (sakura).
The most famous image of ume is, I believe, the one by a painter/designer Ogata Korin. I searched of an image or two and found this and this.
I am always amazed by how Korin captured the strength of this tree, especially the solid branches.
I wanted to capture an Korin-ish image with my camera, but the narrow street and frequent traffic didn't allow me.
