History of the Camellia

Where It’s From and How It Came To America

The camellia is a member of the Theaceae family. The camellia genus has over 300 varieties (depending upon classification – some consider some species as sub-species rather than separate species). Camellias are native to East Asia. They are evergreen shrubs to small trees. 

The four most common species are:

• Sinensis – the tea plant
• Sasanquas
• Japonicas
• Reticulatas

Born in China*

Camellias were popular in the Ming Dynasty (1400s) and had been cultivated by Buddhist monks for about 500 years. ●The fashion of drinking tea dates back to the Emperor Shen Nungwho may have ruled between 1737 and 1705 BC. 

*and neighboring countries

Camellias nearly 700 years old live in China (there are many plants 200 plus years old which have been located for preservation)

While the South, mostly due to having similar weather conditions as native areas, has become the American home to camellias. There are no native (to America) camellias known to exist (unlike Azaleas, also an Asian born plant, which does have a native sub-species).

• Reticulatas are wild only in China, Islands of Hainan, Taiwan, Indo-China (Burma), one species in the Himalayas/Nepal, and Lanceata only on Malay Peninsula; Japonicas only in Japan, China, Korea). 
• Camellias (all species) have more varieties than any other plant (estimated at over 20,000). 
• Camellias, like children, are seldom identical to their parents or, even as twins, to each other.  
• Therefore, the DNA mixing produces a myriad of new varieties naturally and through active hybridization. While the basic DNA tends to produce rather plain single flowers, a host of colors, shapes, and other characteristics are often found in the new offspring.
• While Roman and other merchants made visits to China, no record of camellias were mentioned in journals of their visits.
• Portuguese sea captains often called on their colonial city of Macao (starting in 1516). History of any camellia commentary may have been lost in the great earthquake when Lisbon was flung in to the sea (early 18th Century). 
• Some very old camellias in Portugal and Spain. An old Orandako and two other large old camellias in Conde de Campo Belo near Oporto, have a combined spread of 140 square feet. The Conde garden was planted in the early 16th century.

The first actual reference to the camellia in Europe was in an article published in 1682 in Dresden by Gerbach Meister (Far Eastern and Indian Plants).

In late 17th Century, regular trade via the British East India Company was active (the company closed in 1858 after 231 years of operation). James Cunningham, a Scottish physician, sent dried specimens back to England.

Camellias started to find their way to the West when James Petriver, an English apothecary, received dried specimens and sketched the plant in Gazophylacii Naturae and Artiswhich was published in 1702.

Engelbert Kaempfer wrote and had more detailed drawings of Japonicas, Sasanquas, and Sinensis (the tea plant) in 1712. Based on live specimens he viewed during his stay at Deshimain Nagasaki Bay, Japan where he was physician to the Dutch East India Company.

Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist, established the name CAMELLIA in 1735. He chose this name in recognition of a Jesuit botanist – Joseph Kamel (hence Camelus). Some people say cam-mell-ya rather than cam-meal-ya).

Camellias were unknown as plants in England, but the populace was becoming familiar with tea, made from the leaves of the Sinensis tea plant, a species of camellia. It was not until 1739 that a Japonica found its way to England. 

It took 6 months traveling by ship to bring a camellia to England from China. The plant not only required special removal and containment, but required additional fresh water for regular watering to keep the plant alive during the trip.

The English were actually desirous of obtaining “tea plants” assuming they could grow their own tea instead of paying high prices for overland or shipment by sea. Initially however, they were “conned” by those “shifty Chinese” into accepting the Japonica. Upon arrival and determining the Japonica was not the tea plant they coveted, the Japonica became at first a greenhouse plant in the gardens of the royalty and upper class. The first plants found their way to the greenhouses of Lord Petre of Thondon Hall, Essex, England. The first bloom in 1745 was described by George Edwards as “The Chinese Rose”.

The 18th and 19th Century saw expanded opium trade. The English grew opium in India and sold it in China. The profits purchased porcelain, silk and tea – luxury goods highly sought in England.

Eventually, the English did obtain Sinensis tea plants, but having learned camellias do not thrive in England, they took them to their Indian Ocean Colony of Ceylon. Thus grew the reputation of Ceylon for its tea plantations.

• All camellias came from China as Japan was closed to Western traders. All were mostly peony to full double, except Lord Petre’sred single bloom.
• Camellias in Japan are called tsubaki.

By 1760, the growing of camellias in royal gardens expanded across Europe and reached the gardens of the King of Naples at Caserta. Over the next 50 years, many named varieties were imported to England and Europe by the British East India Company. Alba Plena and Variegata arrived in 1792. In 1794 Rubra Plena and Carnea arrived followed by Incarnata (Lady Hume’s Blush) in 1806.

More camellias came to Europe over the years.

1811 Oleifera (a camellia species known for it’s oil and profuse small blooms)

1818 Maliflora

1819 First Camellia Book

1820 Reticulata (Captain Rawes) Guixia

1829 Kissiand other Sasanquas

1858 Rosiflora

1874 Honglingensis

1912 Cuspidata

1924 Saluenensis

1931 Taliensis 

Not always a reliable plant in England’s harsher climates and not as profuse as plants in a typical English garden, Williams began to hybridize (mostly with Saluenensis) and produced his Williamsii hybrids known for their Japonica heritage, but with more profuse blooms and ability to handle the English climate outside of the greenhouse. 

By 1820 enough plants producing seed were available in England for commercial nurseries to form. Alfred Chandler began his nursery and named his namesake, Chandleri, in 1825 as well as Elegans (forerunner to the Elegans family of blooms).

Camellias spread all over Europe. However, the first Japonica is believed to have bloomed in the Firenze garden of Count Galli in 1794. Luigi Sacco had a collection of 12,000 camellia plants by 1830. Redoute’ painted many of these blooms. The Camellia craze was in full swing in Europe in the 1840’s and 1850’s.

Tea plant seeds came to America in 1744, but they did not grow. Living tea plants arrived in 1772 and were grown on Skidaway Island near, Savannah, GA. This project was also a failure. A South Carolina effort also failed. A later Georgia project produced tea and indigo, but was mostly destroyed and plundered. Efforts to re-establish this plantation are underway.

At last, in 1786, Andre Michaud gave four camellias to the owners of Middleton Place in Charleston, South Carolina. Finally, successful American camellias. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens refutes this historical record about their neighbor (Middleton and Magnolia are next to each other in Charleston) and Magnolia regularly claims they have the first camellia in America (the Japonica, Reine des Fleurs).

Other historical records show a shipment to New Jersey in 1797. Other shipments were said to have taken place around the same time to South Carolina, Virginia, etc.; however, no records on ship’s registries have confirmed these movements of camellias. The first camellia listings in America came in 1822 (17 varieties). Hogg listed 39 varieties in 1835.

Japonicas were distributed primarily by nurseries in the northeast; however, southern nurseries developed and began distributing camellias throughout the south – Gerbing and McIlhenny were two of the largest. Gerbing and McIlhenny were pioneers in documenting camellia varieties available to the public.

Large collections of camellias thrived throughout the South on plantations in Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans (and throughout the southern states).

K. Sawada brought Japonica seeds from Japan and opened a nursery in Mobile. Other nurserymen from Japan opened their businesses in California. The California Japanese nurserymen were interned during World War II and their nurseries “plundered” by people of means to obtain coveted camellias; some received nothing, some 10 cents on the dollar and forfeited their lands. Mobilians fought to keep Sawada and his family out of internment. They attested to him being a great AMERICAN – his children, included George Washington Sawada and Thomas Jefferson Sawada.

The most extravagant of the Camellia species is the Reticulata. This species (the Reticulata Captain Rawes), arrived in England in 1820 and first bloomed in 1826 in Kent, England. It was unique until 1847 when Robert Fortune introduced another variety, but it was sterile. 

Reticulata plants were only found in the conservatories of the rich (and royal).

Since that time, the Captain Rawes camellia variety was lost in China. It was returned to China through America and named GUIXIA (Returning Cloud). International cooperation in preservation helps all nations maintain species and varieties.

In 1938, at a temple in Yunnan Province, Reticulatas were found that had been cultivated since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). 

Yufeng Temple, Yunnan Province located at the foot of the Yulong Snow Mt, the temple is one of the Lamaseries in Lijiang first constructed in 1700. Inside the temple is a 300 year old camellia tree which bears “ten thousand flowers” from each March to April.

Dr. Ralph Peer and Dr. Walter Lammerts attempted to import 20 varieties of Yunnan Reticulatas to the United States in 1948. Many were lost in spite of shipment by air. Collections eventually were secured and went to gardens in California, Washington DC (national arboretum) and Louisiana (Katz garden in Covington), as well as, England and Australia.

The initially imported (1948)Yunnan Reticulatas include:

• Tali Queen – (Dali Cha) 
• Cornelian – (Damanao) 
• Crimson Robe – (Dataohong) 
• Butterfly Wings – (Houye Diechi) 
• Chrysanthemum Petals – (Juban) 
• Pagoda – (Songzilin) 
• Small OsmanthusLeaf – (Xiaoguiye) 
• Confucius 
• Buddha 
• Willow Wand – (Luiye Yinhong) 
• Moutancha – (MudanCha) 
• Purple Gown – (Zipao) 
• Butterfly Peony (Maye Diechi) 
• Great Spinel Pink (Dayinhong)  

Other Reticulatasobtained included: 

• Red Jewelry - (BoazhuCha)
• Large OsmanthusLeaf – (Daguiye)
• Professor Tsai – (Maye Taichong)
• Dwarf Rose – (Hentiangao) to New Zealand
• Chang’s Temple – (Zhangjia Cha) to New Zealand
• Early Crimson – (Zaotaohong)
• Lion Head – (Shizitou)

Tender (but not in California, Florida, Australia and New Zealand) Reticulatas are mostly grown in greenhouses even in other areas of the South, but can be grown outside successfully in the New Orleans area. By 1980, efforts to obtain all 105 of the Kunming cultivars were identified and many distributed to America, Australia and New Zealand.

By 1960, a myriad of Reticulata hybrids (pure) and Reticulata hybrids (Reticulata and other species crosses) were available. Pursel in California was a pioneer in hybridizing with Reticulata and has been followed by Smith in Georgia and many others.