Bucheon Million Rose Garden (Photos by Erin Henderson)
Korea certainly has no shortage of fantastic plants and flowers throughout the seasons. Though we may find ourselves through the cherry blossom and tulip season, two seasons still offer stunning foliage left to explore. Where to go to see them? Here is a short guide to where to find blooms in Korea from spring until fall.
Cherry Blossoms
Late March through early April
Cherry Blossoms (Photo courtesy of Suseong District)
Watch for the cherry blossom prediction calendars to start appearing each year in early March. These will highlight each region of Korea with the estimated bloom dates, and you can plan your travel accordingly. If you are stationed at Camp Humphreys or Osan, you can find them all throughout Pyeongtaek; I discovered a stunning road with them five minutes from my house. If you want to venture outside of Pyeongtaek, Seoul, and Jinhae, have large festivals each year worth visiting.
Jinhae Festival Info: @jgfestival
Where to view cherry blossoms in South Korea
Tulips, Daffodils and Azaleas
Early to late April
One of the most popular yearly events is the Taean Tulip Festival at Korea Flower Park. Taean is the largest flower festival in Korea. It offers stunning displays of vibrant tulips and other flowers across the park (including cherry blossoms, depending on when you go). Another option located closer to Pyeongtaek is Pinnacle Land. Here, you will find tulips, daffodils, and azaleas planted throughout the botanical garden on rolling hills in a picturesque garden. This location is less busy than the Taean Tulip Festival; it offers many stunning backdrops (if not more) for photos in a more rustic setting. They also have fireworks on Saturday evenings during this time. If you want to view a mountain of azaleas, you can visit Wonmisan Azalea Mountain. They have a festival one weekend during prime bloom, but they are typically in bloom for at least two to three weeks.
Taean Tulip Festival, held at Korea Flower Park: 400 Kkotjihaean-ro, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
Pinnacle Land: Chungcheongnam-do, Asan-si, Yeongin-myeon, Wolseon-gil, 20-42 KR
Wonmisan Azalea Mountain: 21-1san, Chunui-dong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do (경기 부천시 춘의동 산21-1)
Roses
Mid-May to early June
Bucheon Million Rose Garden (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Bucheon Million Rose Garden (Photo by Erin Henderson)
If you want to witness a spectacular display of roses for free, plan a visit to the Bucheon Million Rose Garden just outside of Seoul. As the name suggests, there are a million roses with various colors and species that you can enjoy at this public park.
Bucheon Million Rose Garden: 100 Bucheon-ro 354beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
Lotus flowers
Late June through early August
Known for its famous lotus flowers in the summer, Semiwon Lotus Garden is about an hour and a half north of Pyeongtaek. This 100,000 square meter park offers a beautiful view of these magnificent lotus blooms along the Hangang River. Farther south, Deokjin Park, located in Jeonju, also provides another chance to enjoy the lotus blooms on Deokjin Lake.
Semiwon Garden: 93 Yangsu-ro, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
Deokjin Park: 390 Gwonsamdeuk-ro, Deokjin-dong 1(il)-ga, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do
Hydrangeas on Jeju Island
Mid to late June through early July (monitor bloom reports)
We got to experience a stunning display of hydrangeas all throughout Jeju Island when we visited in June 2023. They were the most vibrant hues I had ever seen due to the rich soil of Jeju. You can find them in mass quantities all over the island, so if your trip coincides with the blooms, you are in luck. One popular location to view them is Manor Blanc Cafe.
Manor Blanc Cafe: 46 Iljuseo-ro 2100beon-gil, Andeok-myeon, 특별자치도, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
Sunflowers
Late July through August
The Taebaek Sunflower Festival in Guwau Village is the one festival that I did not make it to that I am bummed about. The festival is located near the Wonju Suspension Bridge, which is a beautiful hike, so if you can get to this spectacular sunflower festival, pair it with a visit to the bridge. If you want something a bit closer to Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base, Anseong Farmland not only has fields of sunflowers but also offers a variety of child-friendly activities and farm animals on site.
Taebaek Sunflower Festival: 38-20, Guwau-gil, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do | 강원도 태백시 구와우길 38-20
Anseong Farmland: 28 Daesindu-gil, Gongdo-eup, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
Muhly grass and Cosmos
Early to late October
Cosmos at Anseong Farmland (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Cosmos at Anseong Farmland (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Muhly grass at Anseong Farmland (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Muhly grass and cosmos take over Korea in the autumn. You can find pink muhly grass across the peninsula and on Jeju Island. Pink muhly is a popular photo backdrop for fall portraits, and if you are located near Camp Humphreys, Naeri Park is the closest place to see it. The colorful cosmos are a favorite in our family, and we made the trip to Anseong Farmland twice in the fall during our time here to enjoy them.
Naeri Culture Park (outside of Yoon Gate) (muhly): 산4-1 Nae-ri, Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do
Anseong Farmland (both): 28 Daesindu-gil, Gongdo-eup, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
Yangju Nari Park (both): 814 Gwangsa-dong, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 광사동 814)
The Pino Cafe in Cheonan (Cosmos): 충청남도 천안시 동남구 풍세면 휴양림길 99-23 Cheonan, Korea
From the soft pastels of cherry blossoms in the spring to the vibrant hues of the cosmos in the autumn, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of Korea’s diverse array of flowers throughout the year.
About Erin
Erin Henderson is a professional freelance photographer and writer whose work has been featured in a variety of publications. She is also a mother of two and a Marine Corps spouse living in South Korea (soon to be Germany). You can find more of her work at erinhendersonmedia.com or follow her travels on Instagram @erinhendrsn.
