National Flower of South Korea – Mugunghwa

Let’s explore the Mugunghwa flower, chosen as the national flower of South Korea, and its significance to the Korean people.

In every country, there are countless beautiful flowers, but only one is chosen as the national flower. The national flower represents the essence of a nation’s character and spirit. Today, let’s explore the distinctive flower of South Korea together with Xu Farm!

Introduction to the Mugunghwa flower

This flower is known in English as Hibiscus, Rose Of Sharon. It’s a type of flower that typically grows in extremely harsh environments, such as along riverbanks and rocky cliffs. Mugunghwa usually blooms from around July to September and sheds all its leaves when winter arrives.

The petals of this iconic flower of South Korea are elongated, and wrinkled, measuring from 6 to 10 cm with short stems. The Mugunghwa flower comes in various colors but predominantly in shades of pink with red spots inside. Each day, the Mugunghwa blooms in the early morning, closes in the late afternoon and sheds its flowers at dusk. As each blossom falls, another one grows the next day. This cycle continues for about 100 days per year. Large Mugunghwa plants typically produce around 50 blooms, while smaller ones may yield about 20 blooms per day. Consequently, a single Mugunghwa plant can yield anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 blooms annually.

The Mugunghwa’s stem is usually ash-gray, reaching heights of around 2-3 meters, standing erect and almost entirely smooth (virtually hairless). The stem is comprised of incredibly strong fibers. The egg-shaped leaves interlace with each other, ranging from 4 to 10 cm in length.

As a distinctive flower of South Korea, the Mugunghwa is also commonly used by the country’s people in cooking or for making tea.

Origin and significance of South Korea’s national flower

The national flower of South Korea originated from East Asian countries, but it flourished and became more prevalent in Southeast and East Asia, especially in South Korea. The Mugunghwa has been present in Korea for a long time, since ancient times, and is highly valued by the local people. It’s evident that the people of South Korea have held this flower in high regard for centuries.

The Mugunghwa flower has thrived in South Korea since ancient times, earning the country the name ‘Homeland of Mugunghwa’ or ‘Land of Mugunghwa.’ The earliest recorded mention of the Mugunghwa flower dates back to ‘Shan Hai Jing’ (Classic of Mountains and Seas), an ancient Chinese geographical encyclopedia believed to have originated before the 2nd century.

The book notes, ‘In the land of the courteous people, there is a fragrant flower that blooms in the morning and withers in the evening.’ The ‘land of the courteous people’ refers to Korea, and the ‘fragrant flower’ refers to the Mugunghwa. This notation continued to appear in the ancient literature of both China and Korea afterward.

The significance of the national flower of South Korea

Since ancient times, due to its unique characteristics, the Mugung flower has been considered by the people of South Korea as a symbol of themselves.

Firstly, the simple, gentle, and pure beauty of the Mugunghwa flower mirrors the character of the Korean people. The flower’s ability to thrive in harsh environments such as along riverbanks and rocky cliffs, continuously blooming from one blossom to another, symbolizes the resilient life force and the perpetual growth inherent in the lives of the country’s citizens.

Beyond its spiritual significance, South Korea’s national flower also serves various practical purposes, such as medicinal uses or for brewing tea.

Also, due to these meanings, the Mugunghwa flower has long been considered one of the symbols of South Korea since ancient times. Today, significant government institutions use the image of this flower as the central emblem on the South Korean national flag.

Mugung – A symbol of South Korea

The people of South Korea hold a deep and fervent love for the Mugung flower. Mugung is intertwined with their lives:

• The image of this flower appears in South Korea’s national anthem: “Mugung, thousand-mile flower on mountains and by beautiful rivers.”
• It is the symbol of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of South Korea.
• The base of the national flagpole is designed in the shape of a Mugung flower.
• The train running from Seoul to Busan and nearby provinces is named Mugunghwa.
• Since 1955, South Korea’s military satellites launched into orbit have been named Mugunghwa

Conclusion

Through this article, I hope that you have learned exactly what the national flower of South Korea is and its significance.