"in terms of tattoos" translates into what painting is used for reference.
i wouldn't worry about the meaning as much as how it looks.
Chinese painting has been around longer and is the source of most Jpns painting.
There's so many different styles of Chinese painting, you can have a more "wet" look or a "dry-brushed" look.
For Chinese, the Plum blossom is 1 of the 4 important plants.
For Japanese, the Cherry blossom is the important one.
The flowers of both can be any color, it's just that most people associate red/pink w/cherries, and purple w/plum. But they can be yellow, white, green, etc.