Natural Habitat of Yoshino Cherries in Daedunsan Mountain, Haenam

The Jeju Yoshino cherry is a tree of the rose family whose white or pale pink flowers bloom before the leaves emerge, around April. Research conducted in 2018 by the Korea National Arboretum together with teams from Myongji University and Gachon University revealed that the Jeju Yoshino cherry is a natural hybrid with the early-flowering cherry as its maternal parent and the mountain cherry as its paternal parent, and that it is a species endemic to Korea, growing naturally only on Jeju Island and on Daedunsan Mountain in Jeollanam-do. The Yoshino cherry was once cut down in large numbers because it was mistakenly believed to be Japan's national flower, but it has since been established that its place of origin is Korea. The natural habitat of the Jeju Yoshino cherry on Daedunsan Mountain lies on the hillside behind Daeheungsa Temple. The age of the tree is unknown; it stands 15m tall with a girth of 0.8m. As the Jeju Yoshino cherry originates in Korea and survives in very small numbers, it is a rare species of high biological value and considerable value for plant geography research, and for this reason the natural habitat of the Yoshino cherry on Daedunsan Mountain is designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Haenam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물