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In the Gardens

Japanese Camellia

Camellia japonica

Bloom time

From January to March.

Characteristics

The Japanese Camellia can reach up to 3 m (10‘) tall and ranges between shrubs and trees. The leaves are egg-shaped, dark green, leathery and glossy. The flowers that remind of roses develop from numerous buds; they only barely scent. There are pink, red and white kinds of blossoms.

Site:

The Japanese Camellia grows at all sites that are the natural habitat of the warmth prefer-ring part of the laurel forest. In correspond-ing regions you will find it in parks and gar-dens. A Camellia avenue is guiding towards the Palheiro Gardens (191). Especially beautiful Camellias are also to be found in the park of Queimadas, in Ribeiro Frio (197) and in the Quinta do Santo da Serra (196).

Interesting to know:

Camellias are native to East Asia and were named in the 18th century by the popular natural scien-tist Linné. He derived their name from the Moravi-an abbot Camellius who dedicated himself to nat-ural historic studies on the Philippines. Only in the early 19th century the first Camellias came from China and Japan to Italy. Cultivation was contin-ued in Milan and Florence. The wild form does have simple pink flowers. Today there are cultivars with double flowers and in various colours.

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