Prunus mume is a traditional Chinese ornamental and fruit tree crop with a long history of cultivation and wide use in gardens. With the rapid development of biotechnology, the researchers have successively completed the whole genome sequencing and resequencing of P. mume. They have analyzed the formation mechanism of flower aroma, flower color, flower type, plant architecture, cold resistance and other traits, which lay a theoretical foundation for improving the efficiency of breeding and the molecular breeding designs. In this review paper, we briefly summarized the important research progress of P. mume genomics and molecular biology in recent 10 years, mainly including germplasm resource classification, genomic projects, genetic map, important ornamental traits and stress resistance, cultivation and promotion demonstration of new cold resistant cultivars. Furthermore, the key objectives and directions of future research from this study will contribute to accelerating breeding programs for Prunus species.