Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in the DMZ

When spring comes, Adonis vernalis is the first plant that melts the hard snow and rises up, signaling the end of winter. In the early morning, A. amurensis closes its golden petals tight and unfolds them with a dazzling sunrise. It brightens up the monotonous and desolate winter forest and makes us anticipate the opening of the heavenly garden.

At the foot of a mountain or in a valley, you can sometimes spot E. serratifolia. Like its flower language, meaning "innocence" or "purity," it has beautiful white flowers boasting a subtle fragrance. It is a very rare tree worldwide, and in some cases, its colonies are designated as natural monuments for protection.

A. narcissiflora, commonly known as a windflower (with its name coming from its preference of places where the wind blows), boasts the most splendid flowers among all windflower types. The beauty of cute blossoms of A. narcissiflora gathered under small trees on the ridges or on the rocky slopes of high mountains such as Mount Seoraksan, would make all the fatigue of mountaineering disappear. A. narcissiflora is classified as an endangered species (EN) and is another plant that we must protect.

The leaves of T. ichangense var. coreanum resemble the leaves of the lotus. It is a rare plant, classified as an "endangered (EN) species", that lives deep in the mountains or in gaps in the rocks, distributed not only in Gangwon-do, but also in North Korea. T. ichangense var. coreanum, which boasts soft ethereal petals in a deep white color, blooms in June for a very short time only, causing much regret for hikers who miss the flowers. It is an endangered species worldwide, and is a special plant that we must protect. 

At the foot of mountains or in rocky area where the autumn wind rests, D. zawadskii blooms diligently, waving its thin leaves. If you look at D. zawadskii, you will find yourself drenched in its beauty, reminding you of its Korean name, meaning "nobleness" or "elegant figure."

M. sacchariflorus decorates bare mountains and fields in silver. Although it lacks elegant colors and forms, the flowers that spring up from its steadfast stem seem to show the last remaining vitality of autumn. When the sharp leaf stalks soften in the fall frost, they become a hiding place for hares and elks from the upcoming snowstorms of winter.

In the middle of winter, white snow-covered A. nephrolepis offer a unique view. It is an evergreen conifer distributed in the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, and eastern Siberia, and a representative northern plant growing in alpine areas. As the Korean name, meaning"spirit" and "majesty," suggests, it is a representative species of Abies in Korea that has endured the strong winds of the Baekdudaegan for decades.