企画展示

Outline of Exhibition

The Camellia sasanqua is native to Japan and is one of few plants, including Camellia japonica, that color gardens during desolate wintry scenes. At the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life, Camellia sasanqua has been collected and exhibited since 2001 as part of the special program “traditional seasonal plants.” It also includes the unique varieties known as “Edo Camellia sasanqua” and “Higo Camellia sasanqua”.

Camellia sasanqua can be broadly divided into three groups: the “Camellia sasanqua group,” which is close to the native species; the “Camellia x hiemalis group,” which is regarded as the seedling or progeny of Shishigashira; and the “Camellia x vernalis group,” which is regarded as a natural cross-breed of Camellia sasanqua and Camellia japonica or its progeny. Camellia sasanqua blooms from mid-October to February the following year by grouping it in the above-mentioned order . All these varieties were selected from variants of seedling, and it can be said that the methods for keeping and spreading such varieties considerably characterize Japanese gardening culture.

At this Botanical Garden, focusing on the relationship between people and Camellia sasanqua from aspects of both genetic and cultural resources, we have studied living plants and historical materials together and exhibited the results. In this year’s program “Winter Flowers - Camellia sasanqua,” methods for promoting such plants by cutting and creating new species by growing from seeds, as pleasures from Camellia sasanqua, are introduced with panels.

Exhibition Lineup

In addition to the varieties donated to this Botanical Garden in the year 2000, those that have since been newly collected are also exhibited. The Camellia sasanqua (70 varieties of Camellia sasanqua, 43 varieties of Camellia x hiemalis and 32 varieties of Camellia x vernalis), grown and bred at this Botanical Garden, are exhibited in potting around the arbor and in the greenhouse in the Botanical Garden. Some are also planted at the permanent exhibition space.

Also, panels explaining about the methods of breeding by cuttings and from seeds as well as the shapes and changes of the Camellia sasanqua flowers are prepared and exhibited in the arbor.

Note: Please note that items in the exhibition are subject to change.