S. Korea's hardy yellow hibiscus, "Hwang-geun," to be distributed after successful restoration

 

 

The hardy yellow hibiscus known as “Hwang-geun” in Korean, is Korea's only native Rose of Sharon or "Mugunghwa." Last year, it was removed from the list of endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment after 20 years of successful restoration projects. Jeong Eun-joo has more. This hardy yellow hibiscus flower known as “hwang-geun” in Korean, has been cultivated by Jeju Island's Halla Arboretum since 2003. It will soon be moved and planted on the coast of Udo, a smaller island off the east coast of Jeju. As the only native species among the hibiscus genus in South Korea, hwang-geun was classified as a second-grade endangered plant and was managed strictly by the government. Since 2003, private and public organizations such as Halla Arboretum have been carrying out seed restoration projects of hwang-geun. And after large-scale transplants in some coastal areas, it was discovered that the genetic health of the flower was comparable to when it was in its natural habitat. As a result, hwang-geun was removed from the endangered species list last year. "It's a plant that has just been removed from the list of endangered species, so it's still a rare plant worth preserving. Halla Arboretum plans to continuously grow and distribute hwang-geun." With the success of the hwang-geun, the number of endangered species managed by Halla Arboretum has decreased from 26 to 25 species. Halla Arboretum is currently carrying out a restoration project for rare and endemic plants that grow in the alpine region. It will supply seedlings for rare plants, such as Korean azaleas and mountain firs, for mass nursery production. Jeong Eun-joo, Arirang News.


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Vocabulary:

 

1. Hardy - robust; capable of enduring difficult conditions

2. Restoration - the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition

3. Arboretum - a botanical garden devoted to trees 

 

Questions:

1. What is Hwang-geun?
2. Reveal why the said flower was managed strictly by the Korean government.
3. Talk about the restoration project being spearheaded by Halla Arboretum.
4. Have you ever seen a yellow hibiscus?
5. How can we stop the extinction of endangered plants?