Retusa Fringe Tree of Cheongok-ri, Gimhae

The name of this tree, ipatnamu, is said to come from the way the whole tree is covered in white blossom when in flower, resembling ibap, or cooked rice; alternatively, it is said to derive from ipha, the day marking the start of summer when the tree flowers, first called ipamok, or "early-summer tree", before the name settled into ipatnamu. The Retusa Fringe Tree of Cheongok-ri, Gimhae is of uncertain age but is estimated at around 500 years old, standing 13.0 m tall with a girth at breast height of 3.76-4.52 m. Cheongok-ri, where the tree grows, contains many prehistoric remains, including a fortress, dolmens and shell middens, and the tree is thought to have been preserved together with these other relics. Almost all of Korea's large, old retusa fringe trees carry a similar tradition: that the abundance or scarcity of their blossom can foretell a good or poor harvest that year. Since the tree thrives where water is plentiful, it blooms fully when rainfall is adequate and poorly when it is not, and as rainfall is equally critical to rice farming, this legend is thought to have arisen from long experience of observing nature. The Retusa Fringe Tree of Cheongok-ri, Gimhae has lived on for a long time under the care and attention of past generations, and its value as biological material means it has been designated and protected as a natural monument.

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Where it is

Region

Gimhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물