Nagahama Bonbai Exhibition - Ume - Prunus mume

[Canada Bonsai]

What are "New Years Plants"? Does this refer to the idea that they can only be enjoyed during this brief time of the year that they flower?

So ume feature in different formats as part of lunar new year celebrations for various asian communities - and I am stating it vaguely here due to my own ignorance; I am familiar with the Japanese and Chinese customs to a certain extent, but have very little experience outside of that. In Canada, the people who contact me seeking these are overwhelming from Chinese and Japanese communities/backgrounds, etc.

The arrangements can be as simple as putting some flowering branches in a vase, or it can be a single ume plant in a pot (1st picture), or it can also be a more elaborate 'Three Friends of Winter' composition made up of pine, bamboo, and ume also called shochikubai (松竹梅) in Japanese. In the 'Three Friends of Winter' compositions, it can either be a full ume plant with roots (2nd image) or it can be single flowering branches (3rd image).

All of these (and other formats) are produced on a massive scale. Through producing these myself for people in Canada, and having spoken to community members (buyers, members of Chinese and Japanese and consulates and embassies, store owners, etc.) and having visited facilities that specialize in producing these (all 3 types), to a great extent these are considered to be 'disposable' compositions that get thrown out by the buyer (as we would buy a bouquet of flowers in North America, for example). The flowering branches obviously do not survive very long. As for the rooted plants -- yes it's true that a certain number of them must get kept long term (either continuing their life in a pot, or being planted in the ground).

I don't want to go into more detail than I need to here because I have tremendous respect for the person who said this in error and for those who have unknowingly repeated it, but the rumour that these were 'being kept on people's balconies' and were then somehow contributing to the development of 'the majority of the ume that we see in the Kokufu' is just that, a rumour.

I'm trying desperately not to reveal too much about how Ume-for-bonsai are produced because I have been invited to give presentations at various bonsai clubs in 2025, but I do think it's important to give you a random example. The 4th image is a field grown Ume that you can buy in Japan 25,000-75,000JPY (about 150-500 USD right now) -- the shapes vary widely, of course, and material is available for purchase at every step of the way from cutting/seed to this stage of development and further. You could walk into several nurseries today and have your pick from 200 of them at any given stage of the development process. Specimens such as this are prime ume material that could easily end up in exhibitions with the appropriate creativity and knowledge. There are many 'farms' that produce these, intended for bonsai from day 1. This is not the only way that Ume end up in the gardens of bonsai hobbyists and professionals and in exhibitions; it is one of the many ways. I'm sharing this to highlight how unnecessary it is to walk around the city and ask people if you can take the plants from their balconies










The first and last pictures are my own, the other 2 are stolen from the internet.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Few more quick pics, while we're on the topic lol

The Minabe-Tanabe Ume System is designated GIAHS, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Not all of the ume orchards in this region have this designation. Below are pics from Takada Ume Ochards, which does. The picture of the umeboshi are from Suzu Ume who produce top quality umeboshi, and some umeshu. I am grateful that Takada-san (orchard) and Yasuji-san (umeboshi) took time out of their busy days to walk me through their respetive industries step-by-step.

I have to say that walking the orchards with Takada-san... and bombarding him with questions lol... was an incredibly enlightening experience. In bonsai, we tend to get our knowledge from within our bonsai industry. Learning from somebody who grows them in a field with different objectives offered key insights into pruning practices and approaches to health-maintenance. He also made sure to send me home with an invaluable set of ideas and solutions for my own ume orchard and the unique challenges that I face with Quebec's relatively cold winters.



This display compared the different ume cultivars that are most common in this particular region (there are others), a region which is recognized for having the best ume in the world. The display also explained the process (practical and legal) by which Nanko emerged pre-eminent.



This is a model of the Minabe-Tanabe Ume System (designated GIAHS, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems), and a below the best picture I could take of one

 

[Yamamomiji]

Seeing these pictures from @Canada Bonsai just reminds me on how meticulously Japanese take most of their business. Their dedication to details is unmatched from my experience (certainly with a lot of stress on a personal or family level for sure). Where others just see a bunch of old trees (mostly in Western culture), you can really feel the sense of appreciation and admiration of such wonders we find or have found out.

There are endless tiny worlds on our planet to thrive if you are observant.