Camellia japonica ‘Valeria’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 55/52. ‘Bright crimson, very double but irregular, one row outer petals flat and thick substance, inner very crowded and generally erect. Middling or tolerably good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Horticultural & Botanical History
No additional data.
History at Camden Park
First described in 1852 it was not listed in the 1857 catalogue. ‘Valeria’ was among the camellias identified at Camden Park by Walter Hazlewood in the 1930’s, although with some reservations. He described it then as ‘dark crimson, one row of outer petals, all the rest bunched like a waratah, original description bright crimson’. [TJSC]. The only other record of ‘Valeria’ in Australia is a listing in a catalogue of James Scott and Sons of Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1868. It is not listed in any Camden Park catalogue.
Notes
Interestingly the Backhouse Nursery catalogue of 1896 also lists a ‘Valeria’. Given James Backhouse’s close relationship with William Macarthur it is interesting to speculate on the origin of this plant. [ICR].
Published Jul 04, 2009 - 12:53 PM | Last updated Aug 10, 2011 - 02:35 PM
| Family | Theaceae |
|---|---|
| Category | |
| Region of origin | Garden origin, Camden Park |
| Synonyms | |
| Common Name | |
| Name in the Camden Park Record |
Camellia japonica ‘Valeria’ |
| Confidence level | high |
