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Maewha: The Flower of Korea’s February

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  • Feb 1
  • 3 min read

There are so many ways for one to sense the beginning of a season. You might sense the beginning of winter when you wake up and right away the cold air touches your skin. Or, you might feel the beginning of autumn when you start to feel a little sentimental and lonely. Personally, when I hear that the water park is opening, I can sense that summer is finally coming. 


In earlier years, when there was no water park to signal the sight of seasons coming back and forth, there has been a messenger in Korea that signals the beginning of spring. The messenger is Maewha, a flower which is also known as plum blossoms in English. Maehwa overcomes the cold weather and blooms in the snow, being one of the first flowers to deliver the news of spring to people. 

 Maewha usually blooms in February, but sometimes as early as late January or, if late, early April. Because of this, they are often called the flower of February. Not only that,  they have many other names, too. For instance, early blooming maewhas are called ‘Chowmae’ in Korean, ‘Dongmae’ when they bloom in cold weather, and ‘Seoljungmae’ when they bloom in snow. Depending on the color, the white color maewha is called ‘Baekmae’ and the red one is called ‘Hongmae’. Among them, the special ones are the green maewha, ‘Chungmaewha’ in Korean, which was very cherished during the Joseon Dynasty. 


Often confused with cherry blossoms, maewha differs in both shape and color.  Maewha has a smooth and round shape, while cherry blossoms have sharp tips at the end of the leaves. Moreover, these flowers tend to have a wide variety of colors compared to cherry blossoms.


 The reason why maewha is so significant in Korean culture is because it has appeared in many poems, writings, and paintings of many scholars and painters since the Joseon Dynasty. Meaning that it has always been closely related to Korean culture. Maewha has been considered as one of the 'Sagunja' in the Joseon times. ‘Sagunja’ indicates the four sacred plants, maewha, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo. It symbolized faithfulness, integrity, and fidelity that the scholars considered as the virtues that a wise man should have at the time. In particular, these pristine flowers was respected for its strength to endure adversities in the cold winter and bloom in the snow, which is a tough condition. For this reasons, maewha was deeply loved by the people in Joseon. 


 Even in modern times, the flower is loved by many people. Reflecting this love, the Cultural Heritage Administration designated four places, where maewha blooms, as natural monuments in 2007 and have preserved them until now. They are usually called the "Four Maewhas of Korea." They are the Ojukheon Yulgokmae in Gangneung, the Hwaeomsa Temple in Gurye, the Gobulmae at Baekyangsa Temple in Jangseong, and the Seonamsa Temple in Seonamsa Temple in Suncheon. To introduce one of them, Jangseong Baekyangsa Temple Gobulmae is a plum tree bright red flowers. The flower has lived for about 350 years and is 5.3m high. The tree is planted in the front yard of a temple called Baekyangsa Temple, creating the harmony between the beautiful scenery of the temple and the charming colors of  maewha. 


 In addition, there are many other places in Korea where you can see the beauty of maewha, such as the Jeju Norimae Plum Festival, Gwangyang Plum Festival, and Yangsan Dongwon Plum Festival. Why don't you participate in these festivals in Korea this February and indulge into the beauty of maewha?



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