Camellia is a genus of about 250 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the Theaceae family, native to eastern Asia. Perfectly shaped, wahy blooms come in a remarkable range of sizes, colors and forms. It is so lovely seeing this long-blooming and shade-loving flower peeking out from under the snow.
The genus was named in honour of Georg Joseph Kamel (sometimes spoken of as "Father Camellus"), a Jesuit missionary, pharmacist and naturalist.
Camellia represents desire, passion, admiration and perfection.
It is also considered as a symbol of longevity.
While most people think of Camellias as garden flowers, the main economic value of Camellia is the production of tea.
Also, Camelia is used in cooking and for oil production.
Some Camellia species are famous for their ornamental value, especially Camellia japonica, Camellia reticulata and Camellia sasanqua.
Camellia is also used as medicine to treat asthma, bacterial infections and heart disease.
Shrubs, Trees
Camellia offer a large palette of colors, from white to yellow, pink red and purple.