Two Pink Spring Flowers

The Cultivated: Prunus mume 'Kobai,' a Japanese apricot. Blooms around the same time as forsythia. A young tree, but already a heavy bloomer. The blooms smell like cinnamon. Grows very quickly once established (3 ft per year), but blooms are delicate and vulnerable to early spring weather. Picked up this little beauty at Rarefind Nursery.



The Wild: Corema conradii, also known as Broom Crowberry. Very rare plant in the northeastern US (ranked an S1 species). Also found in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Likes sandy, open, nutrient-poor soil. The stands found in the NJ Pine Barrens constitute the southernmost extent of its range.