A Thousand Days Of Beauty
During a recent visit to Hanbat Arboretum in Daejeon, I found myself admiring a flower that, for some reason, I had never paid much attention to before. There they were, dozens of small, brilliantly colored purple blossoms rising above the greenery on slender stems. Their unusual shapes and vibrant colors caught my attention, and I stopped to take a few photographs. Little did I realize that these delightful flowers had such an interesting history and an even more beautiful meaning. Later, I learned that they were globe amaranths, known in Korea as cheonilhong (천일홍), a name that translates roughly as “a thousand days of red.” What a beautiful name for a flower. Originally from the tropical regions of the Americas, globe amaranths eventually made their way across the world, becoming popular ornamental flowers in Asia, including Korea. What makes these flowers particularly fascinating is their extraordinary ability to retain their beauty. Unlike many flowers that quickly wilt and lose ...
