12. Early Spring Flowers

April 1, 2023

I love flowers, and I’m sure many others share my sentiment.

Geoje boasts a wide range of flowers in every season. In this post, I’d like to share the flowers that can be seen around the whole Geoje Island in March: Camellias and Cherry trees.

Camellia with cultural significance

Camellias are known as winter flowers.  I grew to love bright red-colored camellias that were bloomed in winter on the ICU campus where I used to live in Tokyo. In Japan, camellias are known as “tsubaki” (椿). You may know that their oils are commonly used in making hair and skin products. I heard from my Japanese friend that in Japan, they are often associated with the samurai culture, as it was believed that the petals of the camellia fell without losing their shape, symbolizing the samurai’s unchangeable spirit after death.

In Korea, camellias are known as “dongbaek” (동백). They are often associated with the Korean tradition of “yin yang,” (陰陽) as the white petals represent purity and the red petals represent passion. Camellias are commonly used as decorative flowers as well as in making fragrances and hair and skin products.  

Camellias in Geoje

Camellias first appear in Geoje in December and stay until March or even April. I fully enjoy camellias in March. They could be seen almost everywhere – from my apartment complex to the edge of the road and to the top of the mountains. Red-colored camellias are more common in Geoje and pink and white ones are quite rare.  

Two Camellia Islands: Jisim-do and Jangsa-do

There are two small islands that are known for camellia tunnels: Jisim-do (지심도 in Korean) and Jangsa-do (장사도 in Korean). Jisim-do is located off the southern coast of Geoje Island and takes only 10 minutes from a port of mainland Geoje by a small ship. When camellias bloom, the whole island would be covered with red, pink and white camellias. Thus, Jisim-do is called home to camellia trees. We visited there in December, but unfortunately, we could not see much. A small fish restaurant owner on the island told us to come back in March for fully bloomed camellias as camellias have been cultivated on the island for generations, and many of the trees are over 100 years old. I will definitely revisit Jisim-do next year, but not in December, but in March when the flowers will be in full bloom.

Jangsa-do is another small island located to the east of Geoje Island. It takes about10 minutes from another port of Geoje by ship to get there. It is known for its beautiful gardens, which are home to over 100,000 camellia trees, hydrangea flowers, and other flowers. We visited Jangsa-do with friends in February and saw beautiful red camellias here and there. But for full blooming of camellia flowers, March seems to be a better month.

Cherry blossoms

I had no idea until now that cherry trees are so prevalent in Geoje. My Japanese friends, who visited Geoje this spring, remarked that there seem to be more cherry trees in Geoje than in Japan.

In fact, one of the most popular natural attractions in Geoje is the cherry blossoms, which typically bloom from mid-March to early April. During this period, the whole Geoje island is covered with pinkish-white cherry trees. The cherry blossom trees are located in various areas around Geoje, including parks, hiking trails, streets, and along the coast. Several roads are lined with cherry blossoms on both sides, creating beautiful tunnels.

On March 25- 26, 2023, the Jangseungpo Coastline Cherry Blossoms Festival was held for the first time on the Jangseungpo coast and drew many visitors both inside and outside Geoje. Be sure to mark your calendar for this exciting event next year.

Other flowers

In addition to the camellias and cherry blossoms, Geoje is home to several other types of flowers that can be seen in March.

Daffodils, with their bright yellow blooms, are another popular flower that bloom during this time. Gonggoji (공곶이 in Korean) is a great place to visit to see these beautiful yellow flowers and even purchase them.

Other flowers that bloom in March throughout the Korean peninsula, including in Geoje, are the azalea and forsythias. These flowers can be found in parks, gardens and hills throughout the island.

For flower lovers, March is an ideal time to explore Geoje Island and enjoy its beautiful blooms in the warm weather and gentle breeze. I absolutely love it!!