Camellia Oleipgra (Photo – LA Arboretum)
Winter blues? Try winter blooms among the plethora of displays from Southern California Camellia Society over two days: Saturday, January 24, 1:00 – 4:00 pm and Sunday, January 25, from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm with the price of admission to LA Arboretum in Arcadia.
Southern California Camellia Show presents hundreds of camellia blooms, representing the wide variety of Southern California beauties. Tickets available onsite and online at arboretum.org.
Relatively new to the West, camellia varieties are native to Asian nations, and their rapid expansion of species has accompanied their rise in popularity around the world. A strong part of Shinto religious life in Japan for centuries, the plant there was known as Tsubaki, or “tree with shining leaves.” They can still be found in many temple gardens and graveyards.
It was first imported to the U.S. from China as camellia sinensis, a non-ornamental camellia, better known as the tea plant.
Today over 200 named species exist, and conjecture on the actual number is as high as 20,000, according to the American Camellia Society.
Treat yourself to the oldest and newest cultivars on the block at this annual show.
