Sugita ’ s plumtrees bud in January, and blossom as mild days and warm suns encourage , so that the last week of February finds the dead looking branches clothed with clouds of starry white flowers . Th e plum is the poet ’ s tree , and symbol of long life , the snowy blossoms upon the gnarled , mossy, and unresponsive branch es showing that a vital current still animates it ,& the heart lives....the plum blossom, has a fresh , delicate , elusive , and peculiar fragrance , which in the warm sun and open air is almost intoxicating ... The blossoming of the plum tree is the first harbinger of Spring....

-ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE