4 New Faces of the Demilitarized Zone
Look at the plants closely and discover the new faces of the DMZ
Sanicle-leaf megaleranthis Sanicle-leaf megaleranthisDMZ Botanic Garden
1. The home of plants endemic to Korea
The DMZ area is a place inhabited by endemic plants that grow only on the Korean Peninsula. It is home to Sophora koreensis Nakai (Natural Monument No. 27), which blooms yellow flowers at the peak of spring and bears bead-shaped fruits, and Megaleranthis saniculifolia, which blooms star-like flowers.
East Asian scopolia East Asian scopoliaDMZ Botanic Garden
2. Safe haven where rare plants grow exuberantly
The DMZ area is where rare plants that are hard to find anywhere else in South Korea can be found, such as Scopolia parviflora (Dunn) Nakai, with its bell-shaped purple flowers; Penthorum chinense Pursh, guarding the wide wetland of the DMZ; Thalictrum simlex var. brevipes H.Hara, with its pale yellow flowers in midsummer; and Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino, the plant which is the raw material for Korean paper.
Korean snake sage Korean snake sageDMZ Botanic Garden
3. A place where plants from both North and South Koreas grow without borders
In the DMZ area, there is a plant called Salvia chanryoenica Nakai, which grows freely to the north beyond the barbed-wire fences of the DMZ. S. chanryoenica is a plant that nestles deep in the mountains at altitudes of 1,000 m or higher, such as on Mount Daeamsan, Mount Dosolsan, and Mount Myeongseongsan in Yanggu, Gangwon-do. Its native habitat extends to the north over the mountains behind the village. S. chanryoenica makes us imagine a day when North and South Koreans can also freely come and go along the flower path.
Arctic European starflower Arctic European starflowerDMZ Botanic Garden
4. A beautiful land where pretty flowers with funny and cute names bloom
The DMZ is known as a land of tragedy and taboo, but if you look closely, it is a beautiful land full of flowers with endearing names. You can find flowering plants like Anemone koraiensis Nakai; its Korean name meaning "single father windflower" is inspired by its characteristic of appearing with the wind each spring and disappearing with the wind, leaving its seeds behind. In addition, Trientalis europaea var. arctica (Fisch. Ex Hook.) Ledeb. has a Korean name meaning the "courtesan flower," referring to its beauty.
The DMZ presents us with a unique look for each season. Take a look at the northern plants inhabiting the DMZ by season here.
Researchers at the DMZ Botanic Garden have long been conducting surveys along the barbed-wire fence to identify and study undiscovered plants in the DMZ. Follow the footprints and gaze of the researchers to find plants blooming along the fence here.
