From food to flowers: The seasonal bloom of chestnuts and potatoes

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From food to flowers: The seasonal bloom of chestnuts and potatoes

Published: 11 Jun. 2025, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Oh Kyung-ah

The author is a garden designer and the CEO of OhGardens.

Driving from Sokcho in Gangwon to a landscaping site in Gangneung, the roadside is awash in white blossoms. Potatoes, planted earlier in spring, have begun to flower. While some varieties produce purple flowers, many bloom in white. Chestnut trees, too, are in full bloom, their catkin-like flowers hanging like pale streamers, giving the illusion of snowfall.

As both plants — potatoes and chestnuts — are more familiar as food, few may associate them with their blossoms. In the past, their significance lay in the fruit they bore. In times when food security was paramount, the flowers were overlooked, their presence in the landscape unnoticed by many.

The two plants have different origins. Chestnut trees are native to the Korean Peninsula, with historical records tracing their longstanding presence. While chestnuts grow across temperate zones in China, Japan and even Europe, Korea has preserved extensive documentation on their use. Texts such as the "Gyeongguk Daejeon," "Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam" and "Sanlim Gyeongje" detail not only their cultivation but also culinary applications, reflecting their importance in Korea’s agrarian past.

Potato blossoms [OH KYUNG-AH]

Potatoes, by contrast, are relatively recent arrivals. Native to the Andes Mountains of South America, potatoes were cultivated there for more than 1,800 years. What we consume is not the root, but a swollen stem where nutrients are stored. This unique crop reached Europe in the 16th century. Within less than two centuries, it became a staple across the continent and is now considered one of the four major crops globally.

In Korea, potatoes are believed to have been introduced during the reign of King Sunjo in the 19th century, giving them a shorter historical presence. But even in this short time, they have taken root both culturally and agriculturally. Their delicate, starlike blossoms once adorned the hair of Marie Antoinette, queen of Louis XVI of France, reflecting their aesthetic as well as nutritional appeal.

Today, Korea enjoys a level of abundance that allows its people to appreciate chestnut and potato flowers not just for the food they yield but for their seasonal beauty. It is a quiet reminder of the generation that once vowed to let hunger pass no further. Yet amid growing ecological concerns, a question arises: Will future generations still see these blossoms? The path forward, like the roadside in bloom, may depend on how we tend the world we leave behind.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.