Happy New Year's! Japanese Flowering Plum

TreeBay

Here's a Prunus mume, also known as Japanese Flowering Apricot or Plum, or in Japanese as "Ume."

I have had it about 10 years. The trunk used to be straight upright, but in two transplantings I have been training it over at an angle. I think it may be ready for different pot. Something a little less square-sided, like maybe a lotus pot.

The Ume is supposed to bloom around New Year's day (for best luck) The last couple years it has been right on, but as Al noted in another thread it has been pretty warm in parts of California. We haven't even had a hard frost here in Silicon Valley!

Ume is often planted together with Bamboo and pine to create a New Year's planting known as "Sho-Chiku-Bai." The three friends together represent long life, health and prosperity.

So, here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Regards,

Matt

Attached Images

ume_sm.jpg (56.0 KB, 203 views)

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pdbbonsai

Matt,

Happy New Year to you as well. This is a very nice tree and I like it alot.

Paul

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Kazuki

I have an ume in my front yard as well. Its buds are about to burst but still no blooms. Ill post pics when they do... It also flowers white.

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!

Kazuki

Kazuki

Heres a pic of an Ume from one of my bonsai books.

Attached Images

hokkaido.jpg (48.2 KB, 188 views)

erubeck

Matt:

What a beautiful way to say Happy New Year! Your mastery of bonsai is only exceded by your mastery of photography.

Happy New Year to you as well and to all the other members of the forum!

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Regards,

Ed

bonsaial1

With the right pot, this will be a stunner. Nice look Matt. very traditional for an Ume.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Very nice, Matt. I'd love to have a beautiful old apricot like that. Wow.

I'm curious - have you considered taking off the entire right branch and training the left one more as an apex? Do you think that would work, or do you think that would be a big mistake? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

Best Regards,
Old Mister Crow

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TreeBay

I think you could do that. I think I might even be able to make an interesting bonsai using only the rightmost branch.

If you'd like to take a crack at a new design, have at it! Maybe "take a crack" was a bad choice of words for a restyling?

Regards

Matt

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Rene_Voortwist

Hi Matt,

This is a wonderful Prunus ! Here's a virtual with only the right branch. It's planted in a different pot with a different angle. To be honest : I like it better the way it is !
Happy holidays !

René

Attached Images

ume bonsaitalk virt.jpg (17.1 KB, 157 views)