Michizane was very fond of ume (Japanese plum) trees and composed a waka (a traditional Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) for the tree in his garden: "Kochi fukaba nioi okoseyo ume-no-hana aruji nashi tote haruna wasureso" (Whenever the east wind blows, my dear plum blossoms remember spring, even if your master won't be here).
道真がウメを愛し、庭の梅の木に「東風（こち）吹かば　匂ひをこせよ　梅の花　主なしとて　春な忘れそ」と和歌を詠んだ。