Dispatches from the field highlight the Arnold Arboretum’s first major expedition to Korea since 1977
This autumn, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University embarked on its first major plant collecting expedition to South Korea since 1977, continuing a century-long tradition of studying biodiversity and enhancing its renowned collection of trees, shrubs, and vines in Boston. Part of the Arboretum’s Campaign for the Living Collections, the trip aimed to gather numerous species of woody plants endemic to the Korean peninsula, focusing on key research and conservation goals.
The Arboretum first collected plants on the Korean Peninsula in 1905, part of Arboretum educator John George Jack’s landmark expedition to China, Japan, and Korea. Plant explorer Frank Nicholas Meyer collected in Korea for the USDA and the Arboretum during his 1905-18 campaign in China and Central Asia, and Ernest Henry Wilson visited Korea as part of his 1917-19 expedition in Eastern Asia. Nearly 60 years elapsed before Steve Spongberg and Weaver’s 1977 trip to the country, and recent agreements the Arboretum signed with Korean officials made this fall’s field work possible.
The expedition was mounted by the Arboretum’s keeper of the living collections, Michael Dosmann, and Chris Copeland, the Arboretum’s assistant manager of plant production. Michael and Chris were in country from September 17 through October 3, and were joined by scholars and plant collectors from Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul National University, Mokpo University, and the Chollipo Arboretum. They made collections from a dozen different sites, ranging from mountains Gyebansan and Baegunsan to the east and south, respectively, to ocean beaches in the northwest. Michael has shared several posts on Facebook and Instagram during this trip to enhance these collections, which are compiled here along with some of his photographs from the field. All told, the venture to the Republic of Korea was a resounding success. Not only did they make 24 collections of 21 different taxa, but they built professional and personal relationships that will last for years to come. Along with collections of seeds (which will grow on to become plants in the nursery and eventually permanent collections), herbarium specimens, and extensive written documentation, these photographs provide a visual record of this trip and its collections that will become part of our expeditionary archives.
EXPEDITION FIELD REPORTS BY MICHAEL DOSMANN
9/15/24: Plant Collectors, start your engines!
Tomorrow, 16 September, is the start of the Arnold Arboretum’s fall collecting season. Chris Copeland [assistant manager of plant production] and I [Michael Dosmann, keeper of the living collections] will head to South Korea for a cross-country exploration of that country’s flora. Although the Arnold has made collections in Korea in recent decades, our last major expedition was in 1977. (Starting in 1980, the allure and overwhelming biodiversity of China took precedence.)
Later in October, Miles Sax [assistant curator] and Sarah Shank [plant propagator] take off to Japan, on what will be the Arnold’s fifth expedition there since 2018. Also in October, Rodney Eason [director of horticulture and landscape] heads to Florida to hone in on several priority species from the region that we feel will actually survive here in Boston. Really!
All of this is under the auspices of the Arnold Arboretum’s Campaign for the Living Collections, our ambitious collections development initiative. Since its launch in 2015, we’ve acquired nearly 70% of our high priority, targeted 400 species from throughout temperate Earth (image 1). Although many of these new acquisitions are still in our propagation and production facilities, over 700 accessions from the Campaign now swarm our cultivated landscape (image 2). I’m excited to see what this season’s bounty yields!
To read more, peruse this article that Miles and I wrote earlier this year for the Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Dosmann, M.S.; Schwartz Sax, M. The Arnold Arboretum’s Campaign for the Living Collections: A Case Study in Living Collection Development. J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2024, 5, 119-130.
9/22/24: Reach for the . . . Forsythia
Among the acquisitions made so far on our expedition to South Korea are three collections of two different species of Forsythia: F. saxatilis and F. ovata. The Arnold’s world-class and nationally accredited living collection of the genus has a few holes, and we are thrilled to be filling them on this trip.
To make our first collection of F. ovata (which was last collected by the Arnold in 1917 by Ernest Wilson on Mt. Kumgang, now North Korea), Chris and I were led up the mountain [Deokhangsan] by the very knowledgeable and sprightly Prof. Seung-Chul Kim of Sungkyunkwan University.
The temperature and humidity were both excessive, and the endless rocky trail nearly vertical (or at least it felt like it). Oh, and there were apparently snakes, pit vipers (my favorite), hanging around to cheer us on. They may have seen us, but we didn’t see them. Not sure if that is a good thing or not.
9/25/24: Walk the (ridge) line
We made some excellent collections along the trail to the summit of Gyebangsan the other day. We started just beyond the giant wind turbine in the left-hand side of the first image.
This time we were guided by of one of South Korea’s foremost experts on trees: Prof. Chin-Sun Chang of Seoul National University. His knowledge was even steeper than the ascending climbs, which were intense at times!
The forests of Quercus mongolica [Mongolian oak] possessed many a fine tree and shrub:
- Tall Tilia amurensis [Amur linden]
- Rounded Malus baccata [Siberian crabapple] (no fruit alas)
- Magnolia sieboldii [Oyama magnolia] (only one among 20+ with fruit)
- Juglans mandshurica [tigernut] (another collection).
We also acquired Acer komarovii (also known as Acer tschonoskii var. rubripes [butterfly maple] with the bright red petioles or leaf stalks, and a nearby Acer barbinerve [bearded maple], both maples similar in leaf at first appearance but with rather distinct fruits.
Another great day in the field!
9/28/24: Another mountain, more fantastic plants
A few days ago we had the fantastic opportunity to explore Baegunsan, a mountain just south of the more famous Jirisan. Our primary host these two days was Professor Hui Kim from Mokpo University; he is yet another incredible expert on the country’s flora. On the first day we were also assisted by Mr. Hak Gi Park and Mr. Jae Jun Kim from Seoul National University’s Nambu Research Forest, two more regional experts.
While the hikes, temples, and views were extraordinary, the plants were even more so. The highlight was collecting from a population of the very rare Kirengeshoma palmata (or K. koreana, if you wish). This hydrangea relative produces waxy, yellow flowers, which yield to become horned or antenna’d fruits. The conservation-status species also occurs in Japan and China, just a few locations each.
Surrounding the plants in this mesic streamside seep were huge Stewartia pseudocamellia, Carpinus cordata, Lindera erythrocarpa, a variety of Quercus, Rhododendron, and more! What a memorable day!
10/2/24: And that’s a wrap!
Our fourth chapter of this fabulous journey was with friends from the famous Chollipo Arboretum. @chollipoarb is an exceptional collection of plants! We spent time in the field with curator Chang-Ho Choi and former Chollipo intern Hyunah Kim, making collections that included ancient, huge Carpinus coreana, as well as beach-bound Viburnum carlesii, growing just above high-high tide line.
Our host Ju-Yeol Kim toured us around this famous garden, showing off the archives, records, and of course meticulous labels. Chris and I gave presentations to the staff, members of the public, and to students from over a dozen universities and gardens that traveled to attend. Special thanks to head gardener Wan-Seong Kim and member of the records team Naegyu Park for their expert interpretation and translation! And of course, we are grateful to Director Geun-Ho Kim for the friendship and hospitality.
It wasn’t all hiking, lectures, and breathtaking sunsets, however. We enjoyed days and nights of seed cleaning, making sure all of our collections are ready for successful export and import. We got it all wrapped up this morning (whew!), and the seeds should be on their way for inspection soon!
