Plants in the Hortus
Many of the plants described here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861. A large number of additional plants were identified from correspondence, gardening notebooks and other documents surviving in the archives. The Hortus attempts to describe all the plants grown in the gardens at Camden Park and those grown in horticultural enterprises such as orchards and vineyards and includes plants grown outside the gardens in the park-like environs of the Camden Park estate. The Hortus plants served a wide range of purposes in the 19th century household; as ornament, living fences, fibre, dyestuffs, medicines, food and drink from the garden, orchard and vineyard and many others.
Camellia japonica ‘Double pink’
A Camellia japonica L. cultivar. Possibly a Camden Park cultivar subsequently named and appearing elsewhere in the catalogues or in William Macarthur’s note books. No more detailed description is extant.
Camellia japonica ‘Double red’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Possibly a Camden Park cultivar subsequently named and appearing elsewhere in the catalogues or in William Macarthur’s note books. No more detailed description is extant.
Camellia japonica ‘Eburnea’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., it is a very vigorous shrub with pure white flowers, somewhat ‘Waratah’ shaped. [Herbert p.367].
Camellia japonica ‘Euphrasia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 18/50. ‘Large handsome double red, with a few anthers, three rows of outer petals, very large, very thick, and streaked like Corallina, inner small and crowded, good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Euterpe’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 25/50, ‘Pilida’ is a possible synonym. [ICR]. ‘Like Spofforthia Carnea.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Fenella’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Fenella’ is Camden Park bred, seedling 63/52. ‘Small, regularly imbricated (?) shaped flower, pale crimson, petals well formed, thick substance, plant unhealthy. Flowers promising.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Fimbriata’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Similar to ‘Alba Plena’, which see, with medium, formal double white flowers, with fringe-margined petals. [RHSE, Don, ICR]. ‘The leaves exactly like those of the C. alba; but a less vigorous shrub; bud large, rounded, scales of a dark yellow; flower three and a half inches in diameter, full, depressed; petals gracefully imbricated, dentated or mucronated at their superior limb.-Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.48/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Fortuita’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. In 1841 Chandler’s Nursery in London sold Camellia ‘Fortuita’, described as a delicate white, fringed with pink, with round petals, almost certainly Herbert’s plant. [Gard. Chron. 1841].
Camellia japonica Francisca’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 51/52. ‘Pale crimson, middling size, quite double, outer petals large and undulated inner small, erect and rather crowded. Pretty good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Grunellii’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Grunellii’ has pure white flowers, full and irregular, often 14cm across, anemone form, with a resemblance to ‘Waratah Alba’. The 2-3 outside rows of petals are reflexed and twisted, the centre of the flower bearing many small, distorted petals, making a large spherical mass. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Gulnare’
‘A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 26/50. ‘Bright red, said to resemble Spectabilis.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6]. The wording of this and some other notes suggests that William Macarthur had not seen the flowers.
Camellia japonica ‘Haylockii’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Paeony form with 14-18 petals in 2 rows, inner petals small, twisted and confused. White with an occasional pink stripe.’ [Berlèse, 1840, Monographie ed 2 p.80, 225, quoted in the ICR]. William Herbert does not mention the pink stripes but they are evident in the illustration. [Berlèse Iconographie vol.II pl.177/1843].
Camellia japonica ‘Helena’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 28/50. ‘Deepish pale crimson, smallish size, very regular, quite double. Petals and flower quite perfect. Good. Beautiful variety.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica L. var. ‘Heloise’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 56/52. ‘Deep rose colour, nearly regular to centre, good flower, large size and very double.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Henri Favre’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The flowers of ‘Henri Favre’ are a full anemone form, to 10cm across, salmon rose tinged bright pink, with long, numerous, lightly veined petals, regularly imbricated. [ICR].
