Saw-leaf Zelkova of Jingi-ri, Namwon

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.281

Category

동식물

Designated year

1982

Location

남원시, 전북특별자치도— 전북 남원시 보절면 진기리 495외 3필

Coordinates

35.495895, 127.422175

Growing in warm areas such as temperate and subtropical regions, Zelkova is distributed in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Its flowers bloom in May, and its fruit, which is disk-shaped, gets ripe in October. This Saw-leaf Zelkova serves as a shady resting place and it has long been worshipped by the local community as a village guardian. The tree is presumed to be 600 years old, with height of 23m and girth of 8.25m. Legend has it that Danyang U Clan planted the tree. During the reign of King Sejo, there was a military officer named Ugong who was so strong that he uprooted a tree in the mountain at the back of his house and planted it in front of his village. He left the village, saying that the tree should be taken care of very well. Later, he played an important role when King Sejo seized power. As a result, he became a high-ranking official and his descendants built an ancestral shrine and paid homage to their ancestors on "Cold Food" day. The saw-leaf zelkova of Jingi-ri has thrived under the attention and care of villagers for a long time, and it is valued highly for its folklore and biological implication. Therefore, it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.

Location