The story behind the name of the plant researcher and the name of the oxhorned tiger lily.
The legends, uses, ecology, and history of plants that alternate between Korean and international scientific names.

Love begins with knowing a name.
Plant names are given for a variety of reasons.
They are named mainly based on their appearance, ecology, legend, and edibility.
But often times it is not understood why it was given this name.
This book is a story about names written by a plant expert who gave the name 'Cowhorn Hyeonho-saek' to an unnamed wildflower while working as a researcher at the National Arboretum and other places.
The names of plants we commonly know are Korean names such as 'Gyeoulsal-i' and 'Dandelion.'
However, plants also have international names called 'scientific names', and there are times when the Korean name and scientific name are strangely similar or completely different.
This book explores the diverse aspects of plant names by covering both familiar Korean names and unfamiliar scientific names, and helps us become aware of the existence of plants we often encounter but whose names we may not have known.
It delicately guides you through the stories and history behind plant names, how plants are born and live, and even the hearts of those who look at them.

If we were to simply break down the name of the patient tree, it would mean ‘there are no patients.’
(Omitted) The scientific name was Sapindus mukorossi.
What caught my interest was the common name, 'Sapindus'.
Its scientific name is a combination of the Latin words sapo and indicus, meaning ‘Indian soap.’
It is said that the fruit peel contains soap components and has been used for laundry in India since ancient times.
It's less fun to just check everything in writing.
Since it contains soap, I wondered if it would foam up. I decided to find out.
--- From "The Patient-Free Tree│A Sturdy Tree That Saves People"

There are several plants of the Angelica genus that are native to our country.
However, among them, there is no plant with the correct name of 'Danggui'.
It's just like there's no tree called oak among the oak genus.
The one with the most similar name is Angelica gigas.
Of course, it is also called Danggui without the 'true'.
It's like calling a Japanese oak or a hornbeam oak simply an oak.
So, what kind of plant is the angelica we eat as a vegetable? Strictly speaking, it's called "waedanggui," and it's native to Japan.

--- From "True Angelica│An Angelica, an Angelic Person"

When naming a plant, you should not name it as you like, but find the genus name (affiliation) of the plant and give it a name.
If we were to compare it to a person, would we say 'surname'? This plant belongs to the 'Hyeonho-saek' family.
So what does this "Hyeonho-saek" mean? There are various interpretations of the common name "Hyeonho-saek."
There are opinions that it was adopted as is from the Chinese notation 'Hyeonho-saek' [Hyeon means mysterious in color, 'Hyeon' means mysterious in color, 'Ho' means mysterious in origin, and 'Saek' means to search by feeling], and there are also records that it was a local name used in Joseon at the time.

--- From "Oxhorn Hyeonho-saek│When naming a flower that is all your own"

There are primroses that bloom in early spring, before the snow melts.
The name Boksucho is a very lucky name that uses the character for fortune and the character for life or longevity, but people often think of revenge or misunderstand it as revenge.
That is why it is often called 'snow flower', meaning a flower that blooms even through snow, or 'ice flower', meaning a flower that blooms even through ice.
In fact, in some areas, the primrose blooms around the Lunar New Year, which may still be considered winter.
--- From "Big Dog Testicle Grass│A pretty stage name given to replace an awkward real name"

Thanks to his nickname, Yulgok often appears in tales related to chestnut trees.
The stories flow in various directions, but they all end with someone saving his life by shouting "night tree."
Yulgok's birthplace is Ojukheon.
It's in Gangneung, Gangwon-do.
Ironically, neither the beech nor the oak tree grows in that region.
The only native habitat of the Japanese chestnut tree on the Korean Peninsula is Ulleungdo Island.
Outside of Ulleungdo, there are no native beech trees, and all beech trees on the mainland are planted trees.
You can only see one or two of them if you go to an arboretum or botanical garden.
--- From "You too, chestnut tree, me too, chestnut tree│If 'you too' and 'me too' come together, will they be a family?"

Geumgang bellflower was named in 1911 and Geomsan bellflower in 1921.
It was named when the North and South were one, and the Military Demarcation Line did not exist.
The name was given by a Japanese person named Nakai Takenoshin.
(Omitted) The genus Diamond Bellflower is a genus of plants endemic to Korea, and its genus name is Hanabusaya, a Japanese name. One species grows in both North and South Korea, and one species grows only in North Korea.
The sorrow of the Japanese colonial period and the sadness of a divided country can be felt even in plants.
--- From "Geumgang bellflower and Geomsan bellflower│Native flowers discovered in North Korea and given Japanese scientific names"

In the content of “Hanrimbyeolgok,” the phrase “Hwangjajangmi (黃紫薔薇)” appears.
It means yellow and purple rose, so roses were probably treated as very precious flowers even before that.
(Omitted) However, other than these gorgeous roses, there are many flowers with the same name, Rosa (Rosa genus), that grow naturally in our country.
There are zelkova trees and wild ash trees that can only be found in high mountains or deep forests, and there are also stone thorn trees that grow along the ground in sunny places or by the seaside.
Although they have names quite different from roses, they are also roses.
Among the many Rosas, the most representative ones that everyone knows and can easily see are 'rose of Sharon' and 'rose of Sharon'.
These are Rosas who have lived close to farmers and fishermen for a very long time.

--- From "Do you know the pure wild rose and the bold sea rose?"

When the willow trees by the river turn green in spring, did you ever think they were leaves? They're not.
The lively colors that dominate the waterfront in spring are influenced by willow blossoms.
So, from the beginning, we've been talking about flowers.
If you thought it was a leaf, you've been mistaken.
Willow trees bloom before their leaves appear.
This is the first common misconception about willow trees.

--- From “Willow│Three Misunderstandings About Willow”