Prunus mume is native to China and Korea but is most often referred to as Japanese Apricot in the west. These small, elegant trees have been cultivated for more than 1500 years and are highly prized in Asia for their beautiful blossoms and fragrant fruits. The fruits from are harvested to make pickled delicacies or fermented into fragrant liqueurs. The blooms have a lovely fragrance and here in central NC Zone 7 are always the first tree to bloom, ushering in the winter season. I currently have 5 cultivars in my garden and hope to propagate more varieties this spring. It truly is a tree I wouldn’t want to live without!