Nuphra pumilum usually blooms during summer near a small stream or a pond in the countryside. When bunches of flowers appear above the sparkling water under sunlight, it looks as though yellow butterflies are rising up.
Written and photo by Yi Nam-hee
Water plants are one of the few photographed in challenging environments. For many hours, one has to wait quietly without making even the smallest waves, in waist deep waters. It is incredible when beaming flowers are finally met, through such demanding processes.
▲▲ A hedging plant, ‘Eu-rum’ bears brown fruits that looks like bananas in the fall, and it is called Korean banana.
▲ Kobresia bellardii
is a part of Carex lanceolata plant family which blooms during March and April, seen often near mountain edges.
A frozen ground is no big deal, a snowed terrain is no issue. On the top of waters, in a midst of muddy dirt, those which bloom through the rock-filled mountains are flowers. Once the seed falls on the ground, it only says, “this is my place,” It does not blame the place or fault others. It says, “Doesn’t matter where it bloomed, isn’t it still a flower” only holding a dazzling smile.
▲▶ Leontice microrhyncha
blooms in a spring snow during spring days of April. It is a northern plant that blooms down south in Han-gye-rung; hence, its Korean name is Han-gye-rung. It’s amazing to behold the life of nature when it blooms with its flower buds hanging down in a bitter cold.
▶ Eranthis byunsanensis
blooms in a small island ‘Poong-do’ of western sea region and it’s also called ‘Poong-do baram flower.’
▼ Pulsatilla tongkangens
is blooms only in Dong-kang, Kang-won-do and Jung-sun area, it grows well near limestone rocks.
Flower is lingering. Early spring, it endures a bitter cold in order to bloom. But there is no loudness or rushing about, nor is it self-conceited for its beauty. Could we live as such flower which accepts the nature’s flow and blooms through the frozen ground, against the rain and wind…. Even without anyone paying attention, the flower blooms. In any place….
