![A bloom of the narrow-petaled campion at Hwamyeong Arboretum. [Provided by Busan city government]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/07/14/news-p.v1.20260714.291bd222a6084fa3b9b54d210bc2b9f6_P1.png)
Busan's Hwamyeong Arboretum announced Tuesday that the narrow-petaled campion — a flagship species of Geumjeongsan and a critically endangered rare plant — has begun blooming within the arboretum.
The narrow-petaled campion is a protected species found growing wild only on Busan's Geumjeongsan. It is classified as a Class II endangered wild plant and rated Critically Endangered (CR).
A member of the family Caryophyllaceae, the plant produces crimson flowers with five finely divided petals, blooming between July and August. It grows exclusively in mountain wetlands, making it a wetland-dependent indicator species that requires continuous monitoring and management as habitat conditions change.
An arboretum official said the facility introduced the narrow-petaled campion last year as part of ex-situ conservation efforts and has since been propagating and preserving it. "This bloom is a testament to our conservation efforts bearing fruit," the official said.
Kim Jong-yeol, head of Busan's Green City Development Office, said Hwamyeong Arboretum serves as a national conservation institution for rare and endemic plants. "We will expand our exhibition, education and outreach activities so that more citizens can learn about the value of rare and endemic plants and the need to protect them," he said.
kaf2002@heraldcorp.com
