Painter Chang Ta-chien, who was living in San Francisco at the time, is said to have often admonished his friends: "The plum flower is our national flower. To love the plum flower is to love our country, and if you love our country, you must love the plum flower."
據說當時寓居舊金山的畫家張大千，經常告誡友人：「梅花是國花，愛梅花即是愛國家，愛國家就要愛梅花。」