한국의 대차수(大茶樹)

The Largest Tea Tree in Korea

Nine large Korean wild tea trees, Tongdosa, Whagea, Milyang, Gule Tojimyn, Bongsan, Duklang, Boriam, Whaumsa were measured the hight and collar diameter from 1995 to 2008. Among them the largest hight is 4.2m at Dosim tea plantation of Whagea, and the biggest collar diameter is 32.0cm at the Boseong Tea Museum. There are variance from 4.5cm to 32.0cm at collar diameter and from 0.5m to 4.2m at hight among trees. It is very difficult to measure the growth years because the plant growth is represented by growth environments for example soil quality, water conditions etc. It is simply can checked to be measured the ring of year on the wood disc. The stem of 5.0 cm branch of Dosim plantation at Whagae was measured the 32 year rings. Therefore the years of the 5.0 cm branch was estimated 34 years old by added 2 years of pith growth. On the basis of this data, the age of the largest tree in this place is estimated approximately 100 years. Out of these places, three places, Tongdosa, Whaumsa, and Boriam, have the long period of tea culture and history. With the tea cultural studies, the scientific studies are required continuously for an authentic evidence.