🌲 Sprouting Seeds from Korea’s 600-Year-Old Jeongipumsong Pine Tree

🌲 Sprouting Seeds from Korea’s 600-Year-Old Jeongipumsong Pine Tree

— A Plant Time Travel Experience —

Hello, I’m SOUUP, a green architect from Planet Greenfingers.

Let me introduce one of the most elegant and legendary trees in Korea—a pine tree so revered that it was once titled a government official. This living monument is known as Jeongipumsong (정이품송) and is over 600 years old, currently residing in Boeun, Korea.

🌿 The Legend and the Pinecone

According to folklore, Jeongipumsong lifted its own branches to make way for King Sejo during his procession. Although it’s a legend, the tree’s existence is real and well-recorded in history. In fact, Jeongipumsong is designated as Korean National Monument No. 103.

Despite its age, it recently bore pinecones. I carefully harvested one and let it dry naturally. As the pinecone scales opened, seeds began to emerge—seeds that carry centuries of history.

🌱 Planting the Seeds from the Past

• Pine cones are collected from the tree when they turn green.

• Seed Collection: The pinecone was left to dry until the seeds could be easily collected.

• Seed Sterilization: To prepare for germination, the seeds were sterilized for safe planting.

• Sowing: Each seed was planted one by one into a growing tray—like hand-stitching time itself. We covered the seeds lightly with soil (2–3 cm) and maintained 100% soil moisture to encourage germination. 

🌱 Germination Begins — The Five-Pronged Seedling

After days of anticipation, the seedlings emerged.
Unlike common two-leaf sprouts, pine seedlings form a five-pronged shape—a miniature trident. It’s an awe-inspiring sight to witness the first breath of life from such ancient lineage.

💚 Reflections from Greenfingers

Jeongipumsong is more than a tree—it’s a living time capsule. Planting its seeds feels like touching the past and growing the future.

The natural life of pine trees typically spans 400–450 years, and Jeongipumsong has already surpassed that. Nature doesn’t grant eternal life, but it does pass on memory—and life—through seeds.

Let’s protect these stories, one green companion at a time.

📍 Experience Location (Cheongju, Korea)

• 17-3, Sangpan-ri, Songnisan-myeon, Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea

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