The blossoms of plum trees, especially of the genus Prunus mume. The petals are white, pink or red, and bloom in early spring. Distinguished from cherry blossoms in that cherry petals have slits at the ends of the petals. Plum petal ends on the other hand are round. The plum blossom is the national flower of China, and is an important cultural symbol in the country. Images depicting China more often feature plum blossoms than cherry blossoms.