Due to the peninsula's long north-south stretch and topographic complexity, there are wide variations in floral distribution. Recent floristic studies of Korea (Lee, C. B. 1976, Illustrated Flora of Korea and Lee, W. T. 1996, Lineamenta Florae Korea) listed approximately 190 families, 1,079 genera, 3,130 species, 630 varieties, and 310 forms of vascular plants. This means that more than 4,000 kinds of vascular plants, including about 570 endemics, are currently growing in the country. By comparison, there are about 1,500 species in Denmark and about 2,000 species in England. Many plants in the northern Korea have elements in common with those growing in Manchuria. While many alpine plants are found in the north and high mountain areas, the central part and the western lowlands have the predominantly broad-leaved deciduous vegetation. The southern coast and the offshore islands of Jejudo and Ulleungdo are regions where warm-temperate plants grow abundantly. Many evergreen plants growing in the southern parts are identical or similar to those found in the southwestern part of Japan.



Warm-Temperate Vegetation

Because of the high average annual temperature (14^oC) prevailing over the southern part of the peninsula and the offshore islands - Jejudo, Soheuksando and Ulleung-do - umerous plant species grow in those areas. On the shorelines of Jejudo island, more than 70 species of broad-leaved evergreens grow. These include Camellia japonica L., Cinnamomun camphora Siebold, Ardisia pusilla DC., Quercus myrsinaefolia Blume, Ligustrum japonicum Thunb., Korthalsella japonica (Thunb.) Engl., Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Thunb.) Makino, Neolistsea sericea (Blume) Koidz., Actinodaphne lancifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Meisn., Euonymus japonicus Thunb. Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand. - Mazz., Trachelospermum asiaticum (Siebold et Zucc.) Nakai, Ficus thunbergii Maxim., Machilus japonica Sieb. et Zucc., Daphniphyllum tejismanni Zoll., Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Aiton, Citrus unshiu Markovich, ect. Also found are such herbal plants as Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam., Pollia japonica Thunb., Crinum asiaticum L. var. japonicum Baker, and such broad-leaved deciduous trees and shrubs as Celtis sinensis Pers., and Elaeagnus macrophylla Thunb.

The southeast slope of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo island is more abundant in warm-temperate vegetation than the northern side of the mountain. Such vegetation gradually diminishes as the contour line of temperature moves northward to the southern shore of the peninsula via Geomundo, Soheuksando and other islands. Near Busan and Mokpo, the number of natural broad-leaved evergreens is limited to fewer than 20 species. These areas are also the northernmost limits for Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitamura.

Ulleungdo island, located at 37^o30'N parallels, has many plants of the warm temperate zone, including Daphniphyllum macropodium Miq., Camellia japonica L., Litsea japonica (Thunb.) Juss., Ilex integra Thunb., Aucuba japonica Thunb., Neolitsea sericea (Blume) Koidz. and Elaeagnus macrophylla Thunb. Because of the high contour of the temperate zone, Camellia japonica L. is distributed as far north as Daecheongdo island, off Hwanghae-do province. This distribution is caused by seed dispersal through ocean currents.



Temperate Vegetation

The Korean Peninsula, except for the high terrains of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo island and the Taebaek mountain ranges, has a typical temperate zone climate.

It abounds in the type of vegetation natural to the temperate zone, such as Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. and other deciduous broad-leaved trees. Typical deciduous broad-leaved trees found in Korea are: Quercus aliena Blume, Quercus acutissima Carruth., Quercus serrata Thunb., Carpinus laxiflora (Siebold et Zucc.) Blume, Betula platyphylla Sukaczev var. japonica (Miq.) Hara, Carpinus tschonoskii Maxim., Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance, Salix gracilistyla Miq., Tilia amurensis Rupr., Styrax japonica Sieb. et Zucc., Forsythia koreana (Rehder) Nakai, Lespedeza biclor Turcz., Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim. and Acer palmatum Thunb. Herbaceous plants in this zone include Miscanthus sinensis Andersson, Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Benth., Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth, Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herbich, Hylomecon vernalis Maxim., Primula sieboldii E. Morren, Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC., Adenophora triphylla (Thunb.) A. DC., Codonopsis lanceolata (Sieb. et Zucc.) Trautv., Melanpyrum reseum Maxim., Elsholztia splendens Nakai and Gentiana pseudoaquatica Kusn.

Among the endemic species of plants, thriving in Korea are Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, Hylomecon hylomeconoides Nakai, and Aconitum chiisanense Nakai.



Cold-Temperate Vegetation

Cold temperate plants grow in the northern part of Korea and in the mountains, such as Mt. Seoraksan (above 1,000m), Mt. Jirisan (above 1,300m) and Mt. Hallasan (above 1,500m), where the mean annual temperature hovers around 5^oC. Typically inhabiting these locations are such needle-leaved trees as Abies nephrolepis Maxim., Larix olegensis A. Henry var. koreana Nakai, Thuja koraiensis Nakai, Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere, Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel, Juniperus chinensis L. var. sargentii A. Henry, Picea koraiensis Nakai, Abies koreana Wilson, Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. and broad-leaved deciduous trees as Quercus mongolica Fisch., Quercus dentata Thunb., Chosenia bracteosa Nakai, Betula platyphylla Sukaczev var. japonica (Miq.) Hara, Betula ermanii Cham., Betula costata Trautv., Salix myrtilloides L., Vaccinium uliginosum L., and Syringa dilatata Nakai.

As for endemic plants, there is a predominant growth of Echinosophora koreensis Nakai in Hamgyeongbuk-do province and near Yanggu, Gangwon-do province. Myeongcheon-gun, in Hamgyeongbuk-do province, is the native habitat of Sasa coreana Nakai and forms the northern limit for bamboo. The endemic herbaceous plant is Hanabusaya asiatica Nakai, which grows in the northern part of the country. Rheum coreanum Nakai is found on the Bujeon Plateau, on the Jangbaeksan range, Hamgyeongnam-do province.

There are many kinds of plants common to Korea and Manchuria. Typical of these include: Astilboides tabularis (Hemsl.) Engl., Acerphyllum rossii (Oliv.) Engl. and Jeffersonia dubia (Maxim.) Benth. & Hook. f. Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel. These plants grow abundantly in the northern mountains as well as on Mt. Seoraksan. Thuja koraiensis Nakai, which grows in the northern mountains, can be found on the higher part of the Taebaek mountains. Vaccinium ulginosum L., grows on the summits of Mt. Seoraksan and Mt. Hallasan. This is regarded as a relic species, its present location resulting from the climatic changes which presumably occurred during the Tertiary Period.

Empetrum nigrum L. var. japonicum K. Koch grows in the southern end of Mt. Hallasan. Diapensia lapponica L. var. obovata F. Schmidt is found on Mt. Hallasan and in Japan. Their distribution may suggest that the Korean Peninsula, Jejudo island, and the Japanese archipelago were once a connected landmass.

Major flora in the cold-temperate climate of the northern forest areas include Larix olgensis A. Henry var. koreana Nakai, Picea jezoensis (Siebold et Zucc.) Carriere, Abies nephrolepis Maxim., Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Picea koraiensis Nakai, and Abies holophylla Maxim.

The important needle-leaved trees growing on Mt. Geumgangsan include Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Abies holophylla Maxim., Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere, Larix olgensis A. Henry var. koreana Nakai, and Thuja koraiensis Nakai. The predominant species growing on Mt. Jirisan are Juniperus chinensis L. var. sargentii A. Henry, Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Abies holophylla Maxim., Abies koreana E. H. Wilson, and Picea jezoensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Carriere. Near the summit of Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo island grow Abies koreana E. H. Wilson and Juniperus chinensis L. var. s A. Henry.



Flowering Periods

July is the season when flowering reaches its peak. Although summer is the peak of the flowering season, there are quite a few species that also bloom during the spring and autumn seasons. Woody plants, for example, tend to have their flowering peaks in May.

Leontopodium coreanum, Somdari, a Korean edelweiss	Convallaria keiskei, Eunbangulkkot, a beautiful small herbs on the mountain slopes	Aerides japonicum, Nadopungnan, a kind of fragrant orchid	Hanabusaya asiatica, Geumgang-chorong, one of endemic vascular plants to Korea

Flowers blooming in spring include: Forsythia koreana Nakai, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz., Lonicera praeflorens Batalin, Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance, Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, Prunus armeniaca L. var. ansu Komarov, Prunus yedoensis Matsum., Magnolia kobus DC., Sorbus alnifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) K. Koch, Ginkgo biloba L., Iris rossii Baker, Pulsatilla koreana (Y. Yabe) Nakai, Erythronium japonicum Decne., Berberis amurensis Rupr., Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., Hylomecon vernalis Maxim., and Viola mandshurica W. Becker.

Plants blooming in summer comprise: Paeonia japonica (Makino) Miyabe et Takeda, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, Iris ensata Thunb. var. spontanea (Makino) Nakai, Rosa rugosa Thunb., Sorbus commixta Hedl., Magnolia sieboldii K. Koch, Maianthemum dilatatum (Wood) Nelson et Macbr., Lilium concolar Salisb., Lilium distichum Nakai, Lilium hansonii Leitchtlin, Morus alba L., Chenopodium album L. var. centrorubrum Makino, Syringa wolfii C. K. Schneid., Dianthus chinensis L., Rosa multiflora Thunb., Hypericum ascyron L., Cirsium japonicum DC. var. ussurinese (Regel) Kitam., Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC., Phytolacca insularis Nakai, Hanabusaya asiatica Nakai, and Anemone narcissiflora.

Hibiscus syriacus, Mugunghwa, the national flower of Korea	Camellia japonica, Dongbaek, a common evergreen tree in the southern part of Korean peninsula	Nelumbo nucifera, lotus, a commonly planted herbs in pond areas	Adonis amurensis, Boksucho, an early spring flower

Plants which bloom in autumn include Miscanthus sinensis Anderson, Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Benth., Sedum aizoon L., Gentiana scabra Bunge, Elscholtzia splendens Nakai, Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch., Aster incisus Fisch., Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herbich, and Aster koraiensis Nakai.

During the winter season, Camellia japonica L. can be seen blooming on Jejudo, the Heuksando islands as well as the southern coast.