Population of Cacti in Wollyeong-ri, Jeju

The word cactus usually brings to mind a hot desert, but beyond those native to deserts, cacti come in many different kinds. Most cacti bear spines rather than leaves, and their stems take on unusual round or cylindrical shapes not seen in ordinary plants. Their tissue can retain large amounts of moisture for long periods, allowing them to withstand prolonged drought. The spines are thought to have evolved to prevent moisture loss through evaporation in the desert, and they also protect the plant from animals. This population of cacti is widely distributed in the crevices of coastal rocks and in the loose stone fences within the village of Wollyeong-ri, formerly in Bukjeju-gun (North Jeju County). The cactus, native to Mexico, is thought to have drifted here from tropical regions on the Kuroshio Current and become established as a wild plant. Because its pads resemble the palm of a hand, local residents call it the "palm cactus" (a prickly pear). Villagers have long transplanted it onto the village's stone walls to keep out rats and snakes, and as a result it has spread throughout the entire village of Wollyeong-ri. The population of cacti in Wollyeong-ri, Jeju, is the only wild colony in Korea that so clearly shows how cacti grow and spread naturally, giving it academic value in terms of distribution; it also has folkloric value as a useful plant for residents, having been used as folk medicine and planted to keep out harmful animals, and for these reasons it has been designated and protected as a Natural Monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jeju City, Jeju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물