Japanese Camellia ‘Marquis de Montcalm’ (Camellia japonica ‘Marquis de Montcalm’) in the Japanese Garden. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
When a Japanese tramp steamer docked at Redondo Pier in 1888, a sailor sold an unnamed camellia seedling that would become the oldest recorded specimen in Southern California. Now, 138 years later, that same plant with its rose-red blooms will watch over hundreds of its descendants competing for top honors at the 52nd Annual Camellia Show.
The Southern California Camellia Society will transform The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens into a celebration of winter’s most romantic flower on February 7-8, timing the event to coincide with Valentine’s Day season. In Chinese culture, the camellia symbolizes enduring love: “Unlike many other flowers, which lose their petals slowly, the camellia sheds both its petals and sepals at the same time when it dies,” highlights traditional horticultural interpretation. “This dual drop of petals (representing a woman) and sepals (representing a man) is seen as a powerful metaphor for two lovers joining together as they move into the next phase of life.”
The Huntington’s collection—nearly 80 species and approximately 1,200 cultivated varieties—earned recognition as an International Camellia Garden of Excellence in 2001. “What makes this collection stand out is not only its size and completeness, but also the number of rare and historic cultivars it contains,” said David MacLaren, Curator of Asian Gardens.
The show opens Saturday at 1 p.m. and continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free with general admission to The Huntington, which ranges from $13 to $34. Information: 626-405-2100.
The 52nd Annual Camellia Show will run on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1-5 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit https://www.huntington.org/event/52nd-annual-camellia-show. Ticket prices: Free with general admission; general admission $13-$34.
