THE speaker at the February meeting of Morchard Bishop Gardening Club was Jeremy Wilson, a renowned botanist and specialist nursery owner. He gave a spirited and engaging talk on all aspects of camellias – their history, propagation and care.

The name of the plant derives from its European discoverer, George Kamel. Kamel was a Jesuit missionary who travelled to the Philippines and then to China, from where he sent back seeds of the plant he found growing in Chinese gardens.

He was also a respected botanist and wrote a learned account of camellias. Thirty years after his death in 1704, his work was recognised when his name was given to the stunning race of plants he had introduced.

“K” became “C” when George Josefs surname was Latinised by Linnaeus into Camellias, there being no “K” in the Latin alphabet.

Few flowers are so sophisticated as camellias and their lineage dates back to ancient times; they were first depicted in Chinese art during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), and became the favourite plants of mandarins and monks.

Camellias belong to the tea family and the practice of drinking it has a long history in China.

The Emperor Shennong, a renowned herbalist, is credited with the discovery of tea. According to legend, one afternoon he was waiting for some water to boil while resting under a camellia tree. Apparently some leaves from the bush floated down into the pot and the Emperor found this fragrant infusion very refreshing. Thus the “cuppa” was born.

Tea is first mentioned in England in the diary of Samuel Pepys where he writes of tea, “(a China drink) of which I never had drank before,” and it was popularised by Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles ll.

It was a very expensive commodity which explains all those lockable caddies that emerge on The Antiques Roadshow.

The versatility of camellias is astonishing.

Seven per cent of Chinese cooks use camellia oil of the Oleifera variety for cooking and the Japanese use it in hair products. Some hardy varieties, such as the appropriately named “Winter Toughie” of the Sasanqua variety can survive at temperatures of minus 26 degrees.

One popular hybrid camellia called “Donation”, was raised at Caerhays Castle in Cornwall by John Williams in the 1920s. This is a long–flowering plant which has semi-double, soft pink saucer-shaped flowers. Unfortunately, Williams died before he was able to see the flowers bloom.

Camellias grow as bushes or trees and can make a stunning hedge. Ignore the advice which tells you not to plant camellia where it catches the morning sun. This is an old wives’ tale. The key things are to plant in a sheltered position and to water the shrubs as buds develop from mid-June onwards.

Also it is important to apply a liquid fertiliser during the spring and summer months. Cuttings can be taken in late July or early August and will root in six to eight weeks.

After this, the plants can be potted up each year in gradually bigger pots.

To see a stunning display of camellias close to home, Jeremy recommended a visit to Marwood Hill Gardens near Barnstaple.

Karin Moffett