An Early Christmas: Tamanoura

[MikeM]

With the Edo period in Japan, there were generations of peace during which the art of the garden progressed and the Camellia came to the fore. From the early 1600s, the Camellia was perfected, with sports being preserved as new varieties and reproduced by taking woody cuttings. These were imported to Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, marking the beginning of interest in the Camellia in the West. Among the early Japanese varieties is one known as Tamanoura, a slow growing antique variety of no commercial interest.

I received an early Christmas present today... a Camellia which looks like C. Tamanoura and is believed truly to be C. Tamanoura. It is said to have been taken as a cutting in the 1960s from a C. Tamanoura grown by a now departed "Camellia Kichi" who obtained his specimen at the turn of the 20th century.

If it is Tamanoura, it is linked over the centuries to the soil of Japan. It would be my only Camellia created in Japan, and such a rare find. I need a proper place of honor for it not too distant from the Nishikigoi.

[Brady Brandwood]

Very cool Mike! That's a beautiful bud, and enjoyable history read.

Best Wishes & Happy Holidays,
Brady

[dick benbow]

Congratulations Mike, it's a beauty....

I have many old japanica's around my place, including my japanese garden and pond.

to fill out your history, you would never find them in samurai's garden's because their fleeting length of flower life reminded them of their possibly short life if so called to fight.

from a koi perspective, the fukerin is well established for such a young plant (LOL)

nice to see another japanese history nut. The large edo style hand carved granite lantern that's in the entrance garden to my home would look excellent
near your camellia. But it resides now off to the side of my scultured japanese black pine in front of the moon maple....

[marco]

Hi Mike, I don't have enough time at the moment to participate on the board, but I always enjoy your picture of flowers like yours, while is snowing here.
Your platinum cat seems as sensible as you, congratulation
A merry Christmas to everybody.

[KoiCCAPW]

What a lovely Camellia! It reminds me of a modern variety (that also blooms now), "Yuletide", in it's blossom shape, except 'Yuletide' is solid red. I really love the white edging.

I have several Camellias but they frustrate me as all have that blossom blight that makes the flowers turn brown almost imediately. I just don't have the patience to spray them with fungicide, plus I've heard it doesn't help much. I remember my mother's Camellias lasting for weeks, now I'm lucky if I get a flower to last 3 days.

Does your plant get the blight? I've heard early varieties seem to miss it somehow.
Very cool Camellia

[MikeM]

Ah, Dick, you've made me think of how much koi and camellias share in their heritage. The Tamanoura could never win in a camellia show today. The flowers do not open wide, the petals are crimped and notched, and overall the flower is modest in size... mediocre conformation and poor size, but a nice pattern. Rather like prized koi in earlier times. Imagine finding an original of the Torazo Sanke.... a glorious thing to be appreciated for what it represents, but not worth a breeder taking up pond space these days.

Marco: The idea of a platinum cat has me smiling.

Barb: We get fungus issues, but nothing serious. I am about as far south as one can go and still raise camellias. As a result, only the early and mid-season varieties are reliable. These are the ones so often hurt by freezes further north. But, the late season varieties will not bloom here. It is too warm by then.

[KoiCCAPW]

Ah, I didn't realize you folks would have trouble growing Camellias there. Is it the heat or the humidity? I guess there are some drawbacks to paradise. lol

Northern California used to be Camellia heaven, cool enough to bloom but no freezes. But about 20 years ago this blight arrived and now they suck. It starts in the center of the flower about the 1st 48 hours after it opens and by day 3 a ugly slimy brown has spread to the whole flower and it drops off. Doesn't affect the leaves at all.
Treatment is to spray fungicide before they open and about once a week all through the season, which here can last for several months. Also, you're supposed to pick up ALL the diseased flowers and clean all the debris and mulch from under the plant then put down fresh mulch. I'm much too lazy to do all that, so I'm stuck with a very short flower bloom.

I would have loved to put a camellia hedge behind the pond, it would have looked beautiful.
Oh well, I'm saving a beautiful mugo pine in a tub for when I redo the pond. It should look great near the new waterfall. It would be interesting to hear what type of plants folks plant around their ponds.