How long is the succulent exhibition on?

Until 30 September 2026. Between the Monday closures and the Chuseok forest rest period from 24 to 26 September, the number of days you can actually visit is closer to ten than to the full three weeks.

When is the arboretum closed?

Every Monday, and over the Chuseok rest period this year on 24, 25 and 26 September. It also closes on 1 January and across the Seollal holiday.

Can I visit without booking?

Yes, if you are not driving. The reservation system controls parking spaces, not people, so arriving on foot or by bus needs nothing booked. If you bring a car without a reservation you will be turned round at the gate.

The standard arboretum admission — KRW 1,000 for an adult, KRW 700 for teenagers, KRW 500 for children. No separate exhibition charge was announced, and 27 September is a free admission day.

Will I see the flowers open?

Possibly not. Flowering times are not published and one of the genera opens only at night. If seeing an open flower is the reason for the trip, call the arboretum on 031-540-2000 before travelling.

Exhibition·Korea National ArboretumEnded

Star-shaped succulent flowers at the Korea National Arboretum, to 30 September

Kang Shin-wookPublished 22 September 2026Updated 21 September 20265 sources checkedEditorial policy 이 글을 한국어로 읽기

The essentials

Dates: 8 – 30 September 2026 (Ended)
Where: Tropical plant research centre glasshouse, Korea National Arboretum, 509 Gwangneungsumogwon-ro, Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do
Admission: KRW 1,000 for adults, KRW 700 teenagers, KRW 500 children — the standard arboretum admission; no separate charge announced for the exhibition
Booking: A parking reservation is compulsory if you drive. Arriving on foot or by public transport needs no booking
Who it is for: All ages
Language: Plant labels carry scientific names, which travel, but the interpretation and the booking system are Korean only. The booking system is the practical barrier, and it applies only if you are driving.
Hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm (April to October), last admission 5:00pm
Closed: Mondays, and the Chuseok forest rest period 24–26 September
Free day: Sunday 27 September, admission waived; parking still charged and still booked
Enquiries: 031-540-2000

Written up from Korea National Arboretum's own announcement of 10 September 2026. Details change — check the official page before you travel.

This event has ended. The institution's visiting guide is still current. Visiting guide · What's on

The Korea National Arboretum is showing succulents whose flowers open as five-pointed stars in its tropical research glasshouse until 30 September. Between Monday closures and the Chuseok forest rest period there are only about ten days left to see it. Admission is the standard arboretum ticket of KRW 1,000 for an adult, and arriving by car requires a parking reservation.

In short

The exhibition runs 8 to 30 September 2026 in the tropical glasshouse at the Korea National Arboretum.
Mondays are closed and the arboretum shuts for a forest rest period over Chuseok, 24 to 26 September, which removes five days from the run.
No separate charge was announced: the standard arboretum ticket of KRW 1,000 for an adult covers it, and 27 September is a free day.
If you drive, you cannot park without a reservation. Arriving on foot or by bus needs no booking at all.

The 'Stars that Bloom on the Ground' succulent exhibition inside the arboretum's tropical glasshouse, laid out with sand and gravel. — The 'Stars that Bloom on the Ground' exhibition. Pale sand, gravel and natural stone stand in for the dry habitats these plants come from. Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

The Korea National Arboretum keeps a tropical research glasshouse alongside its temperate collections, and this month it has filled part of it with succulents from three genera whose flowers open as five-pointed stars. It is a small, specific exhibition rather than a major show — the reason to note it is that the window is shorter than the dates suggest.

A meerkat model beside a burrow entrance made of earthenware pipe, next to a sand dune in the habitat display. — The habitat recreation in the 'Meeting the Stars' section: a meerkat model, a sand dune and a pipe burrow together (detail). Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

How many days are actually left

Days you can and cannot go

Last day of the exhibition: Wednesday 30 September
Monday closures: 21 and 28 September
Chuseok forest rest period: Closed 24 to 26 September
Free admission day: Sunday 27 September — no admission charge, but parking is still charged and still booked
Days remaining: Roughly ten, counting from the middle of the month

Why these flowers are shaped like stars

The star shape is not decorative; it is a lure. Two of the three genera are pollinated by flies, and their flowers imitate dead animal tissue in colour, texture and — memorably — smell. The third works the opposite shift, opening large scented white flowers at night to draw moths. In all three cases the five-lobed star is the landing platform.

The three genera on show

Stapelia: Dry regions of southern Africa. Spineless stem succulents whose hairy, fleshy flowers mimic carrion to attract flies
Huernia: Eastern and southern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Five-lobed bell or funnel flowers with strong banding, also fly-pollinated
Selenicereus: Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Large, strongly scented white flowers that usually open for a single night to attract moths

Densely clustered succulents with club-shaped leaves swollen with water. — Club-shaped leaves swollen with stored water, growing in a dense cluster (detail). Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

A colony of angular-stemmed succulents spreading radially across a gravel bed. — Angular-stemmed succulents in a radial colony on the gravel. Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

A close view of a four-sided succulent stem with toothed ridges. — A four-sided succulent stem with toothed ridges (detail). Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

A colony of columnar cacti planted in a group among natural stones. — Columnar cacti and natural stone, showing how the plants grow in colonies (detail). Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

A colony of succulents and a columnar cactus planted on a gravel bed. — Succulents and a columnar cactus on the gravel bed. Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

The pink star in the publicity is not a flower

The image used to promote the exhibition shows a structure that is not the flower itself. Flowering times are not published, so whether you will see anything open on a given day is a matter of luck — ring 031-540-2000 if that is the point of your trip.

Succulents displayed against a dark backdrop wall representing a starry night, with pink star-shaped flowers printed on the wall. — The backdrop wall built to suggest a starry night. The pink star-shaped flowers on it are printed exhibition graphics. Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

A close view of the pink star-shaped flower illustration printed on the exhibition backdrop wall. — Not a photograph of a flower in bloom — a star-shaped flower illustration printed on the backdrop wall (detail). Photo: Korea Forest Service, Korea National Arboretum · Original

Getting in, and the parking rule that catches people

Driving is 100% pre-booked. Cars without a reservation are turned away at the gate, not sent to overflow parking.
Arriving on foot or by public transport needs no reservation.
Same-day parking can be booked online up to an hour before last admission, if spaces remain.
Visitors entitled to free admission — over-65s, disabled visitors, larger families — still need a parking reservation if they drive, and collect their ticket at the staffed window with proof.
Cancel through the booking system before last admission on the day; no-show admission is not refunded.

The visitor cap is stated differently in two places

The visitor-information page gives a daily ceiling of 4,500 for people arriving without a car, while the booking page gives 3,000 on weekdays and 4,500 at weekends and on holidays. Assume the lower figure if you are walking in on a weekday.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How long is the succulent exhibition on?: Until 30 September 2026. Between the Monday closures and the Chuseok forest rest period from 24 to 26 September, the number of days you can actually visit is closer to ten than to the full three weeks.
Q. When is the arboretum closed?: Every Monday, and over the Chuseok rest period this year on 24, 25 and 26 September. It also closes on 1 January and across the Seollal holiday.
Q. Can I visit without booking?: Yes, if you are not driving. The reservation system controls parking spaces, not people, so arriving on foot or by bus needs nothing booked. If you bring a car without a reservation you will be turned round at the gate.
Q. What does it cost?: The standard arboretum admission — KRW 1,000 for an adult, KRW 700 for teenagers, KRW 500 for children. No separate exhibition charge was announced, and 27 September is a free admission day.
Q. Will I see the flowers open?: Possibly not. Flowering times are not published and one of the genera opens only at night. If seeing an open flower is the reason for the trip, call the arboretum on 031-540-2000 before travelling.

Sources

Official notice (Korean)

Written in our own words from the sources above, never copied from them, and every date and price checked against at least two pages. The originals are in Korean. Spotted a mistake? Ask for a correction.