I don’t know about you, but I simply ADORE spring flowers and since I am visiting Seoul in spring – especially to see cherry blossoms, I wanted to see other blooms as well.
After all in March, Seoul starts to blossom with early spring flowers beyond just cherry blossoms, azaleas, and forsythias. Here are some other beautiful blooms to watch out for.
Plum Blossoms (Maehwa)
Did you know plum blossoms start way earlier than cherry blossoms? In fact, the well-known cherry festivals in Japan originally centred plum blossoms.
When looking for plum blossoms, you can expect red, pink, or white blossoms with a delightful fragrance.
- Time: March
- Best Spots: Changdeokgung Palace, Namsan Hanok Village, Samcheong Park
Cornelian Cherry Blossoms (Sansuyu)
There are all kinds of cherry trees, which bloom at different times during spring and with different blossoms. The Cornelian cherry trees shine with tiny yellow flowers. They look similar to forsythia, but are not the same at all.
- Time: March to early April
- Best Spots: Gurye Sansuyu Village (outside Seoul), Yangjaecheon Stream, Seongbuk-gu, Olympic Park
Forsythia
You can find Korean forsythia in bloom around Seoul, especially when you are wandering the trails on the mountains. They can even occasionally bloom during winter, depending on the temperatures.
A highlight is the forsythia walking trail at Eungbongsan Mountain. You can find it by exiting Eungbong Station (Gyeongui-Jungang Line) from exit 1 and crossing the public parking lot.
- Time: mid-March to mid-April
- Best Spots: Eungbongsan Mountain
Magnolias
Another spring classic is the magnolia. This fragile tree flower doesn’t bloom long and gets easily damaged during rains. So, check them out fast once it’s their time. The magnolia flower is elegantly white or light pink and so pretty!
- Time: mid to late April
- Best Spots: Deoksugung Palace, Yonsei University, Seoul Forest
Camellias (동백꽃)
Another elegant, bright red or pink flower to admire are camellias. They beautifully pair with their glossy green leaves. No wonder, they are a popular motif for Korean paintings and on clothes.
- Time: November to March
- Best Spots: Bongeunsa Temple, Seoul Botanic Park, Yangjae Citizens’ Forest
Daffodils (Narcissus)
Seoul also has beautifully vibrant, yellow daffodils to gaze at. These cheerful yellow blooms are a marker for early spring finally coming up.
- Time: March
- Best Spots: Hangang Park, Seoul Forest, Children’s Grand Park
Winter Jasmine (Jeolgang, 영춘화)
The small yellow flowers that bloom along walls or fences before leaves appear can be spotted in winter already. So maybe they are also a winter flower?
But they are certainly a welcome splash of colour when the trees aren’t greening yet. Definitely give a great teaser of what’s to come in spring.
- Time: March to April
- Best Spots: Seoul Fortress Wall near Bugaksan, Naksan Park
Pansies and Violas
Seoul is dedicated to creating natural green spaces as part of its efforts at more environmentally friendly urban planning. There are pockets of trees and flowers throughout the cities and next to roads.
Popular flowers that are planted in urban flower beds are pansies and violas.
- Best Spots: City parks like Gyeongui Line Forest Park and Seoul Forest
Corylopsis (Dangjohwa)
Belonging to the family of witch hazel, the corylopsis bush grows pale yellow bell-shaped flowers on its graceful branches. They can already start blooming in January, but also grow as late as March.
- Best Spots: Seoul Botanic Park, Namsan Park
Snowdrops (Sonamu Kkot)
You probably know snowdrops and Seoul has the pretty little spring herald as well. Its delicate white flowers emerging early in the year.
- Best Spots: Forest trails in Seoul Forest or Hanuel Park
Hyacinths
You can buy hyacinths in flower stores. Or you can smell the fragrant and vibrant flowers I nature. Find them in shades of purple, pink, and white on meadows and in parks. They are not extremely common, so don’t expect to find them in nature outside of flower beds.
- Time: April, May
- Best Spots: Flower festivals and park displays, often near Yeouido Hangang Park
Azaleas
One of the most iconic spring flowers in Seoul – other than cherry blossoms – are azaleas. Korea has so many wonderful places to hike among a sea of azaleas. Seoul is no exception.
You can, for example, look out for the slopes of Namsan Hill to turn bright pink and purple in early April.
- Time: end of March, April
- Best Spots: Cheonggyesan Mountain and Royal Azalea Hill in Gyeonggi-do
Canola
Another one of Seoul’s popular spring flowers is the canola, which you can see towards the end of spring.
A very special festival celebrating the canola flower is held annually with the Saemchang Maengbang Canola Flower Festival. It takes place in April near Samcheok-si City in Ganwon-do Province. It takes about an hour by public bus from the Express Bus Terminal.
If you don’t want to travel that far, check out the Hangang Seoraeseom Flower Festival with its approximately 18,000 m2 yellow canola flowers. It takes place on the man-made island of the same name, which is in Han River. The festival is hosted by The Seoul Metropolitan Government.
- Time: late April to mid May
- Best Spots: Hangang Seoraeseom Island, Haneul Park
Rose
Another one of Seoul’s popular spring flowers is the canola, which you can see towards the end of spring. Roses grow through many months of the year all over Seoul.
If you really love the flower, you should attend the Seoul Rose Festival taking place every May in Jungnang-gu. You can see thousands of roses bloom in a 5.15 kilometer-long rose tunnel.
- Time: late May to early autumn
- Best Spots: Jungnang Rose Park, Rose Street at Jungnangcheon Stream
Poppy
Another one of Seoul’s popular spring flowers is the canola, which you can see towards the end of spring. Poppies can also bloom a second time in the year.
The gorgeous and delicate flower can bloom even later into summer if nights remain cool. If you want to see some cool photos of fields of poppies in bloom in Seoul’s Olympic Park, click through to this blog.
- Time: May to June
- Best Spots: Sangdong Lake Park, Olympic Park