April: Purity Japanese camellia
Location -- On the east side of the path, just past the Garden gate, dry stream bed, & tall western red cedar. (Photo by Aleks Monk)
Botanical name - Camellia japonica ‘Purity’ Common name – Purity Japanese camellia
As an ornamental, Camellia japonica (tsubaki in Japanese) is arguably the most important camellia species in Japan. Cultivation dates back more than a thousand years, beginning with efforts to breed plants with larger, showier flowers for temple gardens and the homes of the nobility. Over the centuries, thousands of cultivars were developed, their blooms characterized by an ever-expanding range of color and form.
Usually considered evergreen shrubs, in time many become small trees—up to 30 feet tall. Most bloom in late winter and spring. Hardy to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, they prefer moist, well-drained soil and shade during the hottest part of the day.
In Japan, Japanese camellias are important elements in traditional gardens. They are also used in parks for hedges and as shade trees. Cut stems with their flowers are used in the traditional art of ikebana.
More than 20 Camellia japonica plants grace the Seattle Japanese Garden. One of the most beautiful is Camellia japonica ‘Purity’, a very old cultivar that dates to late 1600s Japan. It was called ‘Shiragiku’, which means white chrysanthemum. However, the true Japanese names were replaced when plants were brought to the U.S., and we know it as ‘Purity’.
‘Purity’ has pure white, medium-sized, fluted formal double flowers. Considered to be a mid-season bloomer, it usually flowers here in March and April.