This is the story of an adventure that led to the discovery of 15 spectacular Reticulata camellias in that land of ancient horticultural skills, Yunnan, China.
But first, a small introduction to and a brief description of these hybrids, startlingly lovely in every way and a new departure in camellias.
Aside from the interesting, if small-flowered, Camellia saluenensis and C. cuspidata species and their hybrids, the only really lovely large-flowered variety originating from a species other than C. japonica was the Captain Rawes type of C. reticulata.
This variety, though having charming flowers over 6” inches in diameter, is awkward and scraggly in growth and has sparse, small, narrow, dull green leaves.
Even so, it has been in great demand, selling for as much as $50 a plant when it was first introduced and demonstrating that with plants, as with people, a pretty face goes a long way.
Judging from the interest shown in Captain Rawes’ camellia, the demand for the new Reticulata hybrids should be great indeed, for they combine the beauty of a flower with fine plant form and abundant, glossy green foliage.
Flowers of most C. japonica varieties are rather flat. Their beauty, therefore, is mainly two-dimensional.
The new Reticulata hybrids, on the other hand, are also lovely when viewed from the side because their flowers have remarkable depth.
The Beauty of Cornelian
With no trouble, one can visualize the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas when looking at the fully open flowers of Cornelian.
Even the glowing sunset colors of far-away Eastern lands are found in the unusual orange-red shades, which contrast strikingly with the pure white and delicate pink in this variety’s petals of crepe paper texture.
Here is a description of Cornelian as recorded from observation of a flower in bloom last February:
“Six and one-half inches in diameter, three and three-quarters inches high. The flowers are deep roses with warm undertones of orange, heavily marbled with white. There are about six rows of petals, each exquisitely waved and crinkled, and, in addition, a few small petaloids in the center. The remarkable thickness and texture of the petals give the flower a long-lasting quality. As it expands and develops, the inner petals and petaloids rise, giving a depth and lateral flower outline strikingly different from the first appearance, thus resembling some of the newer roses, such as Charlotte Armstrong, in behavior. These flowers are well displayed on plants of strong compact growth habit, having an abundance of large semi-glossy dark green leaves.”
Cornelian and many of the other new hybrids have left much larger and thicker than those of the C. japonica varieties and fully as glossy.
Because of their interesting leaf margin serrations and heavily veined texture, I venture to predict that some of the new C. reticulata hybrids will be grown for their beautiful foliage, which will be sold for floral use, even as the leaves of C. japonica are now.
Besides Cornelian, other variegated ones, each differing in number, arrangement, and form of petals, are Tali Queen, Chang’s Temple, and Lion’s Head.
Transformation of Purple Gown
Pagoda and Purple Gown from another series. In fact, of the unusual beauty of flower transformation, the latter is, in many ways, the most amazing of the entire group of fifteen varieties.
When Purple Gown first opens, it is a formal, deep purple-red with minute white pinstripes. At this stage, one tends to compare it with the C. japonica variety, C. M. Hovey, even though it is 5 to 6 inches across.
But in its second phase, each petal greatly enlarges. Central petals rise to give the flower a huge, hemispherical shape or full peony form, much like a beautifully shaped Daikagura flower.
Its size increases to 6” to 8” inches in diameter; petals, crinkled near the base, waved in outline and of a lovely crepe-like texture, become a most heavenly wine-red but retain their minute pinstripes of white.
The flowers are very long-lasting and should be admirable for floral use. Plants are vigorous, of compact growth, and the leaves are wide and large.
Pagoda’s flowers, though somewhat smaller, are even double those of Purple Gown. The plant is very compact.
A tree of this variety, over 30’ feet high and with a trunk 20” inches in diameter, is reported by Professor T. T. Yu was growing within the walls of one of the Kunming Temple gardens.
Semi-Double To Formal Double Varieties
Six of the fifteen new varieties are semi-double to formal double and vary in color from the silvery salmon-pink, semi-double Professor Tsai to the orchid-pink, fully double Willow Leaf.
The latter has a willowy habit that lends itself admirably to the espalier treatment, tending as it does to branch mostly in one plane and having small but graceful, glossy, and highly serrate leaves which are very charming.
Shot Silk: The Interesting Variety
In many ways, the most interesting variety is Shot Silk. Its large, semi-double, brilliant pink petals are crisp, crinkled, wavy, and delightfully informal in effect as they mature.
The most amazing thing about Shot Silk is that each petal seems to be studded with thousands of miniature diamonds, each glistening and sparkling in the early morning sun.
Close examination shows that this phenomenon is due to very large, transparent cells filled with a clear, colorless liquid which, by reflection, causes the diamond-like twinkling.
Other Varieties in Series
Others in this series are
- Moutancha (a Chinese term meaning peony flowered) has a large, formal double flower 6” to 8” inches across, bright, silvery pink marbled with white veins on the inner petals, which are wavy and crinkled
- Osmanthus Leaf, having large pale pink, unusually velvety flowers
- Chrysanthemum Petals, having fully double, imbricated, begonia-rose-pink flowers
Butterfly Wings, Crimson Robe, and Noble Pearl
The last three varieties are the rose-pink Butterfly Wings, carmine red Crimson Robe, and the still more vivid turkey-red Noble Pearl.
All three are 6” to 8” inches across and have very wavy, crinkled petals and exquisite crepelike texture.
The individual petals of Butterfly Wings are so large that when they unfurl, they look like large, exotic butterflies.
As the flowers of these varieties mature, their petals rise to partially cover their stamens and give height to the flower. They are so varied in form that no two are ever exactly alike in outline.
Of High Adventure
The discovery and importation of these new varieties was a most exciting horticultural event.
How they could have remained unknown to the West until I imported them in March 1948, for Descanso Gardens is, indeed, a mystery.
Possibly, as Ralph Peer, the well-known camellia authority, suggests, they were grown only within walled temple gardens and hence were overlooked by the many plant explorers searching Yunnan for horticultural treasures.
In any case, as a result of correspondence relative to locating some eighty or more camellia species said to be native to various parts of Asia, I came upon descriptions of wonderful sorts cultivated in Yunnan Fu or Kunming.
The author, H. H. Hu, intimated that the beauties he wrote about were, at least in part, derived from C. reticulata.
My curiosity was unbounded. I contacted Dr. Hu, who referred me to Professor T. T. Yu of the Yunnan Botanical Institute, Black Dragon Pool, Kunming, China.
A letter to him on April 16, 1947, was finally answered by his associate, H. T. Tsai. He not only confirmed the report that more than twenty varieties of C. reticulata existed in Yunnan but offered to send them to me.
In his letter, he said, “Camellia reticulata is in tree form and blooms to make a magnificent and fiery scene from November to May.” You can imagine my excitement!
After an involved transfer of credit, the twenty varieties, each growing in its original Chinese pot, were shipped from Kunming to Shanghai on a Chinese National Air Cargo plane and from there to San Francisco via Pan-American.
Fortunately for my peace of mind, I was unaware of the quarantine prohibiting the entry of plants growing on Chinese soil.
Happily, the quarantine officers allowed me to wash the native red and sticky soil off and transplant the camellias (following bare-root fumigation) to peat.
Of the twenty, fifteen survived, and since then, in cooperation with Ralph Peer, I have succeeded in importing and establishing three more.
Of Stockpiles
I began building an adequate supply of plants at once. My experience with C. japonica hybrid seedlings and grafts clearly showed that continuous light, a high nutrient level, and temperatures above 65° degrees Fahrenheit greatly increased vegetative growth.
Grafts were made in the winter of 1948 to 49 by placing scions on large C. japonica understocks, using the usual cleft graft method.
As soon as these were knit, they were placed under continuous light, that is, daylight supplemented at night by 100-watt Mazda lamps.
Plants were fed weekly with Descanso Plant Food at the rate of a one-quarter ounce per gallon of water and kept at temperatures not lower than 65° degrees Fahrenheit.
By October of the same year, some of the grafts made in January 1949 were 10’ feet high, and the average was 6 feet high.
During the winter of 1948-49, I noted in the hybrids a characteristic of importance to those living in the country’s colder northeastern and midwestern sections where greenhouse protection is necessary for such relatively tender exotics as camellias.
C. japonica varieties demand lower greenhouse temperatures than those ideal for most other greenhouse plants.
It, therefore, is practically impossible for the small conservatory operator to bring them into normal flowering.
Tolerance To High Temperatures
The new Reticulatas, on the other hand, form flower buds and flower very well at day temperatures as high as 80° to 85° degrees Fahrenheit.
Though some will flower at minimum night temperatures of 60° to 65° degrees Fahrenheit, many cast their buds at such high temperatures. They, however, develop and flower nicely at 50° to 55° degrees Fahrenheit minimum night temperatures.
Greenhouse Condition
They may, therefore, be given the same greenhouse conditions as those in which many other plants highly prized by conservatory owners thrive.
This tolerance of higher temperatures during the flowering season must reflect the rather high late-winter and early-spring day temperatures of Yunnan.
Indeed, these remarkable camellias may not only be grown and enjoyed outdoors in the southern and Pacific states where they are full and as hardy as the average C. japonicus but also in more northern areas in small greenhouses.
Potential For Cut Flower Use
The future possibilities of these camellias for the professional greenhouse operator interested in their cut flower use are tremendous. Their large size, beauty, and long-lasting qualities ensure their popularity as corsages.
Availability of Reticulata Hybrids
Fifteen of the spectacular Reticulata hybrids are now available from several camellia specialists.
But, if the usual pattern of American enterprise obtains, all of them will be available from many nurseries for prices scarcely more than those asked for the better varieties of C. japonica, within a few years.
44659 by Walter E. Lammerts