Meet the famous trees of Korea
Gruan is a guide to Korea's famous trees. Find heritage trees protected as Natural Monuments, learn how to tell Korean trees apart, and read their stories.
- Famous Trees
451 trees and groves protected as Natural and Provincial Monuments, by region.
- Tree Guide
304 trees of Korea — leaves, flowers, fruit and bark, with sources.
- Tree Stories
One tree, one story: history and legends, with a character drawn from the tree.
- Tree Map
Every named old tree in Korea on one map (map labels are in Korean).
The oldest Natural Monument trees
- Ginkgo Tree of Yongmunsa Temple, Yangpyeongabout 1,100 years · Natural Monument No. 30 · Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
- Ginkgo of Hasong-ri, Yeongwolabout 1,000–1,200 years · Natural Monument No. 76 · Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do
- Long-leaved Japanese Zelkova of Dogye-ri, Samcheokabout 1,000 years · Natural Monument No. 95 · Dogye-eup, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do
- Ginkgo Tree of Eupnae-ri, Goesanabout 1,000 years · Natural Monument No. 165 · Cheongan-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
- Ginkgo of Yeongguksa Temple, Yeongdongabout 1,000 years · Natural Monument No. 223 · Yangsan-myeon, Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
- Ginkgo of Yogwang-ri, Geumsanabout 1,000 years · Natural Monument No. 84 · Chubu-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
Latest stories
- The Belt of Camellias Wrapped Around the Back of Seonunsa Temple
- The Fringe Tree of Cheongok-ri, Whose Blossoms Foretold the Year's Harvest
- The Man Who Brought the Walnut Is in the Goryeosa's Biographies of Treacherous Officials: The Gwangdeoksa Walnut and Yu Cheong-sin
- Dried Persimmons Scarier Than a Tiger: The 530-Year-Old "First Persimmon Tree Under Heaven" and Sangju Dried Persimmons
Character images are AI-made artwork based on each tree's leaves, flowers, fruit and bark. Questions or corrections: gruantree@gmail.com