[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Intimate Story of a Plant Caretaker 'First Plant'＜3＞

Editor's NotePlant specialist YouTuber 'Apisto' focuses not on expensive or rare plants, but on consistently nurturing plants over a long time and conveying his affection for them. His essay ＜First Plant＞ warmly and lightly captures the experiences and episodes anyone who loves plants can relate to while growing them. When asked about his most cherished plant, he answers, "The plant I have grown the longest. That plant is Scindapsus." Word count: 847 characters.

The reason why the stems of the pasque flower are bent is to prevent the pollen from getting wet. When the stem bends, the calyx acts like an umbrella, which is advantageous for the next generation. In Korea, the fruit is covered with white hairs like dandelion seeds, resembling an old person's disheveled white hair, hence the name Halmi-kkot (pasque flower, literally "old woman's flower").

The meaning of Halmi-kkot in the English-speaking world differs from ours. Halmi-kkot is called Pasque flower in English. Pasque comes from the Hebrew word 'Pessah,' meaning 'past' or 'to pass over.'

In Judaism, the day commemorating Moses leading the Jews safely out of Egypt is called Passover. Passover is derived from the Hebrew 'Pessah,' meaning 'to pass over safely,' and is called 'Passover' in English.

Passover occurs roughly around April in the Gregorian calendar. This is also when the pasque flower blooms. The pasque flower blooms at the time when the Jews risked their lives to escape Egypt. Having endured the harsh winter and welcomed spring, the pasque flower was named 'Pasque flower' to signify having safely passed over.

The pasque flower looks old to anyone. Its back is bent like an elderly person, as if on the threshold of death. When the flower falls, the seeds that were protected inside the calyx release their long white hairs, scattering in the wind. Plants typically wither after blooming and dispersing seeds. The moment a plant blooms is its most brilliant moment. However, the pasque flower's back remains bent even in its most brilliant moment, as if to show that life and death are ultimately connected.

The pasque flower in April is passing through its most brilliant moment. At its peak, it holds its seeds in the lowest posture and scatters its brilliant white hairs.

－Apisto (Shin Juhyun), ＜First Plant＞, Media Saem, 17,800 KRW