One of our favorite activities at Camp Happy is to be in the forest and use the pine tree cones and needles for crafts and games. Here is some background information for two of South Korea’s most popular pine trees.
South Korea is a country with beautiful natural areas. Forests cover 63.2% of the country, and the most popular trees are two species of pines: the Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) and the Korean Red Pine (Pinus densiflora). These two pines are very similar and important to South Korea, but they have distinct features that help Happy Campers to tell them apart.
Firstly, pine trees are a type of evergreen. This means that they have leaves that do not fall off during autumn or winter. Also their leaves are long needles instead of a normal broad-shaped leaf.
The Korean Pine’s scientific name (or Latin name) is Pinus koraiensis. The tree can be found in Korea, northeastern China, Mongolia, eastern Russia, and central Japan. It is a mountain tree so its native habitat is at high elevations and colder climates. In nature, it usually grows to 30 meters in height. The tree’s bark is flaky and is gray or brown in color. When the bark flakes off, it will reveal a reddish inner bark. The branches have blue-green needles and grow to 115 millimeters in length. The needles also grow in bundles of five. The pine cones are brown and grow up to 150 millimeters long.
In Korea, the tree is famous for its healthy pine nuts, and they are called jat (잣). Jat has many nutrients like magnesium, iron, antioxidants, zinc, and protein, which can help with heart and brain health.
Many animals also use the Korean Pine. Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and insects live in the trees and get food from them. The Siberian Tiger, which used to live in Korea and is the national animal, mostly lives within Korean Pine forests. The Siberian Tiger no longer lives in Korea because of over-hunting and over-development of natural lands. The extinction of the tiger is a warning that we should treat our natural environment with more care and consideration.
Along with the tiger, the Korean Red Pine is another national symbol. The scientific name is Pinus densiflora. This tree is found in Korea, Japan, northeastern China, and the southeast of Russia. The tree can grow to 20 to 35 meters tall. The needle-like leaves are 8 to 12 centimeters long and are in groups of two per fascicle. The pine cones are 4 to 7 centimeters long. The plant prefers full sun on well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
In South Korea this pine tree has special significance. Long ago, Korean aristocrats (or Yangban) loved the pine tree because they thought it represented the Confucius virtues of loyalty and perseverance. Modern South Koreans also love this tree. In South Korea’s national anthem Aegukga, the pine tree represents Korea’s resilient spirit. Furthermore, the government has protected the tree from logging to make sure that future generations can also enjoy beautiful pine forests.
