Look for our Camellias in the Moon Viewing Garden and across from it; along the north fence boundary and Bed 26.

Scientific Name Camellia Common Name Camellia Family Theaceae Plant Type Perennial, evergreen, shrub or small tree Environment Best out of strong sun, well drained soil, never plant trunk base below soil line, prefers thick mulch Bloom More than 3,000 named varieties in a wide range of colors and bloom forms. Sesanquas bloom as early as October, other types, like the japonicas will still be in bloom late as May. Uses Leaf tips of Camellia sinensis are dried and used to make green tea or fermented for black tea.  Seeds of many varieties, including C. reticulata, C. oleifera and C. sasanqua are pressed for oil used in cooking, cosmetics and paint. More Info American Camellia Society Sazanka

Camellias have grown in Southern China Indo-China, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and Japan for over a thousand years. Named after a Jesuit priest, George Kamel, who discovered them in the late 17th century, they have been in cultivation so long it is difficult to know where they originated, or which specimen is from the wild or which is a hybrid or cultivar.

Camellias are one of the most popular of garden shrubs with their shiny pointed evergreen leaves, the variety of their blossoms and their long blooming period. Easy to grow under larger trees that protect them from the summer sun and the winter cold, they can live for years, only getting larger and fuller until they rival the trees that are their protectors.

Camellia sasanqua blooms in the fall and has usually a single blossom. The oil from its seeds is important for cosmetics and cooking, and its wood is hard and useful for handles. Camellia japonica has thousands of cultivars, with many varieties of blossom shapes and colors from white to palest pink to red. Camellia sinensis is the world's source of tea, and its tender new leaves are picked twice a year. Camellia reticulata has dramatically larger blooms than all other species. San Francisco Botanical Garden has recently been given a collection of over 200 camellias, a gift from the Davidow family.

Contributors: Docents Joanne Taylor and Kathy McNeil