A bacterial strain, designated 5J-6(T), was isolated from soil in Cheongnyeongpo, Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, and motile rods and their catalase and oxidase activities were positive. Strain 5J-6(T) grew at 10-30 degrees C, pH 6.0-9.0, and 0-0.8% (w/v) NaCl concentration, with optimum growth at 25 degrees C, pH 6.5, and 0.4% NaCl concentration. Anteiso-C-15:0 and iso-C-16:0 were detected as the predominant fatty acids and menaquinone-7 was the sole isoprenoid quinone detected. Strain 5J-6(T) contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phospholipid as major polar lipids. The peptidoglycan belonged to the type A1 gamma meso-diaminopimelic acid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA calculated from the whole genomic sequence was 46.1 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of strain 5J-6(T) based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate into a member of the genus Paenibacillus. Sequence similarity analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 5J-6(T) was most closely related to Paenibacillus aceris KUDC4121(T) and Paenibacillus chondroitinus DSM 5051(T) with 98.76% and 98.42% similarities, respectively. Average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain 5J-6(T) and the type strain of P. aceris were 83.97% and 28.60%, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics and genomic data, strain 5J-6(T) could be considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus silvestris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5J-6(T) (= KACC 21430(T) = JCM 33812(T)).