PLANT OF THE MONTH

February 2021 — Sasanqua Camellia

Common Name:  Sasanqua Camellia

Latin Name:   Camellia sasanqua

Family:   Theacaea

Type:    Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Origin:   China and Japan

Locations at Bloedel Reserve:   Camellia Trail and Residence

Garden Uses:  Hedge, flowering specimen

Fun Fact:  With very little color in the garden these cold winter months, it can be a nice surprise amongst the dark wet foliage to find a delicate Camellia flower.  This species of Camellia wasn’t known to Western society until 1820.

But Camellias have a long history of cultivation in Japan for practical as well as decorative reasons. The leaves are used to make tea, while the seeds or nuts are used to make tea seed oil. In recent years, our Camellia specimens have been infiltrated by a number of fungal diseases. In an effort to stop these diseases from spreading we have created “wattle” fences to help quarantine these areas of the grounds.

You can see a wattle fence being built by clicking here.