Description
Japanese ume (Prunus mume) is a species of Asian plum in the family Rosaceae. The tree comes originally from China, but has also been cultivated in Japan and Korea for its fruit and flowers since ancient times. "Although normally called a plum, it is actually more closely related to the apricot..... The tree flowers in late winter, typically late January or February in East Asia, before the leaves appear. The fruit ripens in early summer, typically June in East Asia. Each fruit is round with a groove running from the stalk to the tip. The skin is green when unripe, and turns yellow, sometimes with a red blush, as it ripens. The flesh becomes yellow.."