Ume: the plum blossom pattern of patience and hope
Make a Ume wallpaper in your colors
At a glance
| Japanese name | 梅 (うめ, Ume) |
|---|---|
| Motif | Plum blossoms |
| Wish it carries | Patience and hope |
| Season | Late winter (January–March) |
| Where you see it | New Year cards, early spring kimono |
What it looks like
Plum blossoms have five round petals with no notch, which makes them easy to tell apart from cherry blossoms. In this pattern the flowers are scattered across the surface at random angles and sizes.
History
The plum tree came to Japan from China in ancient times. In the oldest Japanese poetry collection, the Man’yōshū, there are more poems about plum blossoms than about cherry blossoms, and plum was the flower that early poets and courtiers admired most. The plum is also closely tied to the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, who is honored at Tenmangū shrines across Japan.
What it means
Plum trees bloom at the end of winter, often while snow is still on the ground, before any other tree. The blossoms stand for patience, strength in hard times and the hope of spring. They are a common motif for New Year.
How it is drawn
Each flower has five round petals and a circle in the center. As with sakura, the flowers are placed so they never overlap and each is turned to a random angle.
Ways to use it
Red and gold is festive and fits New Year cards. Black and gold is striking. Cream and indigo looks like a classic textile.
- Open the maker with Ume already selected.
- Pick one of the color sets, or choose your own ground and line colors.
- Choose a size: phone, desktop, video call, square or A4 print.
- Download it as a PNG, or as an SVG if you want to edit or print it at any size.
Ume and 13 other patterns are in our coloring book, with the meaning behind every design.
See the coloring book on Amazon