Chinese Flowering Plum Trees

From National Mall and Memorial Parks:

The New Year has brought a new sight! They have (probably) never before been seen on the Mall, though they have been here for decades. These could be one of the best kept secrets in the park. After Nixon visited in 1972, China gave Chinese Flowering Plum trees to the United States as a gift of friendship. Why does almost no one know of these? Because we already had the Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees, these trees were planted around the Kennedy Center (then a part of the National Mall). Though a place of honor, it was not as visible as the area around the Tidal Basin. Plus, the Chinese Flowering Plum trees never bloomed. Actually, it is more accurate to say they bloomed too early. Each spring, buds would form but before the blossoms could fully open, they were destroyed by frost. Eventually (and quietly) they were all replaced with ornamental plants more suited to this planting zone. Well...not quite all.

About a half dozen were left over and were planted near the D.C. World War Memorial. These few "unofficial" trees have survived, unkempt and failing to bloom each spring, largely forgotten...until now. This unusually warm winter has allowed the Chinese Flowering Plum blossoms to open and reveal their full beauty. But with cold weather setting in, they may not survive past New Year's Day.

The Chinese Flowering Plum trees have a significance beyond marking Nixon's historic trip to China. They are indirectly responsible for the presence of the Japanese Flowering Cherry trees on the Mall. Japan gifted the cherry trees to the United States because they held special cultural significance. In Japan, viewing and appreciating cherry blossoms is considered an art and there is even a word for it - "hanami." However, hanami did not begin in Japan. Hanami, was originally practiced by the nobility of China as the art of viewing "ume", or plum blossoms. The practice was imported to the noble courts of Japan over a millennium ago, eventually morphing from plum blossom to cherry blossom viewing. In some sense. these overlooked latecomers are really where it all started. An interesting way to start 2016. Happy New Year!