Japanese apricot

Prunus mume 'Peggy Clarke' (Japanese apricot) has deep rose-colored double flowers crowned with bright red calyxes. These wonderfully fragrant flowers dot stems in January through March before leaves emerge, creating a remarkable display. This small flowering tree is resistant to most insect pests and diseases and is relatively low maintenance but surprisingly uncommon in the horticultural trade (though not impossible to find). Two excellent specimens are planted along the Garden's Ladies' Border. If protected from winter damage, it will produce edible but sour fruit, rarely eaten in the West but enjoyed in the East, where in Japan they are used to make wine called umeshu.