Also, only one plum blossom emerges from a bud, while multiple cherry blossoms can emerge from a single bud. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival runs April 4-28.

4. The buds: Plum buds are round, and have one blossom each. Cherry buds are oval, and have several blossoms coming out of each bud. 5. The leaves: Check the colour of the leaves on the tree.

Japan is currently right in the middle of plum blossom season. Though they don’t get as much attention internationally as cherry blossoms, plum, or ume (as they’re called in Japanese) flowers are also ...