Wando-gun, Domestic Longest 21km Honggasi Tree Road Draws Attention

Roadside Turns Red Up to Mulhatae Intersection in Dalgoshinji-myeon, Gunoe-myeon

The Honggasi tree road, created along National Road No. 13 in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, is attracting attention as the red color of the leaves becomes more vivid when sunlight shines on them.

According to the county on the 30th, in 2021, a street environment maintenance plan was established, and Honggasi trees were planted along about 21 km of roadside from Daldo in Gunoe-myeon to the Mulhatae intersection in Sinji-myeon.

The Honggasi tree is an evergreen broadleaf tree of the Rosaceae family, mainly distributed in the southern regions, and its leaves turn red when newly sprouted and in autumn, giving it high ornamental value.

The longest 21km Honggashnamu Road in Korea
[Photo by Wando-gun]

According to a county official, while creating scenic value is important, the species was chosen as Honggasi tree considering the need to enhance the public value of urban forests such as providing rest areas, reducing fine dust, and responding to climate change.

In particular, the trees are pruned into spherical shapes to create a distinctive street landscape, and trees with colors contrasting the red of the Honggasi tree, such as golden euonymus and flowering dogwood, are planted in between to capture people's attention.

Additionally, besides the Honggasi trees in the section, crape myrtle, camellia, golden euonymus, and flowering dogwood were planted to provide diverse scenery throughout the four seasons.

A county official said, “Recently, there have been many inquiries about the Honggasi tree,” adding, “We will do our best to maintain and manage the street trees and build green social infrastructure such as parks and forests to meet such responses.”

Meanwhile, Wando-gun won the Encouragement Award in the street tree category at the ‘2023 Jeollanam-do Urban Forest Excellence Awards’.

Wando = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyungpil just8440@asiae.co.kr