That's a purple-leaf plum tree in bloom. Usually, February contains some bleak, dull and merciless weather. So far that's not the case. In fact, it's really quite moderate. And this January was the warmest on record by a lot. All of this conspires to fool the poor, dumb trees into thinking that spring is approaching. That's what happens when you have neither eyes nor a brain. If I see more of these duped trees around, I'll be sure to take pictures of them, because after all, it's always nice to see trees in bloom, even if they're dumb.
4 comments:
If I'm not mistaken, this is Prunus blireiana - a hybrid of the purple-leaved plum (Prunus cerasifera var.) and the Japanese flowering apricot (Prunus mume). It has the purple leaves of the former and the double, fragrant flowers of the latter. It is actually not unusual for these to be blooming this time of year. It is the first Prunus variety to emerge with such large blooms and can be identified by its lumpy bark and the congestion of twiggy branches that make up the canopy. After the flowers have faded it does not looks so great.
Sorry I accidentally posted this twice! Here's a little something I wrote about Prunus mume a few years back: http://www.artdish.com/post/2008/03/13/Now-in-Bloom-Prunus-mume.aspx
It's nice to see spring a block away from my place at the Belltown Lofts. Good sign! =) BTW I really enjoy your blog and walk around the neighborhood always looking to see if I see you since I am aswell unemployed. Take care
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