Camellias

Camellias have long been associated with the South, but they're not native to the United States. They originated in Asia and grew in China and Japan years before they made it to Europe where they were  called Japanese roses in the beginning. The first varieties in England were a single red and a single white. The camellia is closely related to the tea plant.

Andre Michaux, King Louis XIV's botanist and a noted plant explorer, brought them to this country. He actually started the first botanical garden in America north of Charleston in 1786. Michaux presented camellias and other plants to his friend at Middleton Plantation. Begun in 1741, the garden at Middleton is thought to be the oldest landscaped garden in America. No record has been left of how many camellia plants were gifted, but there was a least four - one at each corner. One, a gorgeous double

red camellia survives today. Many other camellias bloom through the gardens of Middleton Place today, as well as in countless other gardens throughout the South. Their array of colors have dazzled people for centuries.

Today there are about 3,000 different varieties of camellias, both with single blooms and double ones. Colors come in a broad range, including variegated two-tones. In fact, they dot many landscapes and yards. My current neighbor has one large enough to be called a tree.

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