Weeping plums with blue branches hanging like willows are in bloom in a corner of the plum garden.  The blue of the young branches stands out.  While other plums have flowers directly on the branches of old trees, how do weeping plums grow young branches and have flowers in this way?  Not limited to weeping plums, weeping cherry trees, weeping willows, and plants with “weeping” are limited and therefore prized.  I don’t know the exact reason why the “weeping” phenomenon occurs, but it seems to be caused by the difference in growth between the upper and lower parts of the cross section of the branch.  It seems that the timing of pruning is an important condition for the formation of fine “weeping”, but the weeping plums that we see now are reminiscent of spring with the freshness of the young branches as well as the flowers.

梅園の一角にまるで柳の様に青い枝を垂らしている枝垂れ梅が咲いています。若枝の青さが目立ちます。他の梅は古木の枝に直接花を付けているのに、枝垂れ梅はこうして若枝を伸ばし花を付けるのでしょうか。枝垂れ梅に限らず、枝垂れ桜や枝垂れ柳と「枝垂れ」のつく植物は限られていて、それ故に珍重されます。「枝垂れ」現象がどうして起こるのか、はっきりした理由は分かりませんが、枝の断面の上部と下部の成長の違いから起こるようです。立派な「枝垂れ」ができるかどうかは剪定のタイミングが重要な条件らしいですが、今目にする枝垂れ梅は、花もさる事ながら、若枝の瑞々しさが春を思い起こさせます。