Living Monument—Taesongsan Sabina chinensis var. horizontalis

This tree grows in the coniferous forest zone of the Central Botanical Garden.

It had been growing in Nampho since around 1600 before being transplanted to the Central Botanical Garden in 1959.

The tree is 3.2 m high, 3.3 m round at the root neck, 3.1 m round at the chest and 14 m wide at the crown with 41 m round in circumference.

The trunk is divided into three horizontal branches at the height of 0.5 metres. Every branch gradually drooping at its end is dotted with twigs. The crown of the tree looks like a cushion.

The tree is attractive and fragrant as it secretes oil.

As a monoecious plant, its male flowers are oval while female flowers are round.

Female flowers bloom at the end of two-year-old branches.

The blossoms come out in mid-April and the fruits ripen between September and October the next year.

As it is the largest of the same species growing in the PRC and occupies a large area in the horizontal direction, it is of great scenic value.

The living monument is of significance in studying the maximum life span of its species.