Why do plum blossoms bloom in cold weather?

Plum blossoms are native to China. Wild plum blossoms first evolved into a branch of the fruit plum ornamental plum family. There are four sub-centers of wild plum distribution in China, namely the mountainous areas of eastern Sichuan and western Hubei; the mountainous areas of southeastern Hubei, northeastern Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang; the mountainous areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and southern Jiangxi; and the mountainous areas of Fujian and Taipei. It is a deciduous tree. Plum blossoms like warm climates, and their flowering period is particularly sensitive to climate change. Plum blossoms like high humidity in the air, but avoid heavy rain during the flowering period. Plum can grow well in areas with annual rainfall of 1000mm or slightly more. The soil requirements are not strict and it is more tolerant of infertility. Positive tree species, likes full sunshine and good ventilation. It is a long-lived tree species. The flowering period in the Yangtze River Basin is from December to March of the following year.

The plum blossoms you mentioned blooming in winter are probably wintersweets, which are also called "yellow plum blossoms" because of their sallow flowers. Most of their flowers bloom in the cold winter months, so they are called "winter plum blossoms". Wintersweet is native to Hubei, Shaanxi and other provinces and regions, and has been widely introduced and cultivated throughout the country. Wintersweet has a long life span, likes light but is slightly shade-tolerant, relatively cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and avoids moisture. Its flowering period is earlier than that of plum blossoms. Wintersweet likes sunshine the most in autumn. There is no scorching sun in autumn and can be exposed to the sun all day long. Wintersweet likes cold, so it should be exposed at night in autumn. When the cold wave comes, it should be placed in the wind and frost, which will make it susceptible to cold, which is conducive to fertility and winter flowering. In the twelfth lunar month of winter, when the wind is cold and the weather is cold, at this time, the wintersweet flowers are as yellow as wax, the trees are full of fragrant flowers, and the fragrance is overflowing. It is a good ornamental product in winter and is deeply loved by people.