Camellia 'ASHTON'S BALLET' hardy camellia

Camellia

Dreams tend to come true above all for those who refuse to accept other people’s assumptions that something cannot be done or is impossible. In the world of gardening this is doubly true. Until quite recently, it was believed that certain trees originating in subtropical regions, such as the silk tree for instance, stood no chance of surviving Central European winters. And yet it works, and the trees not only survive, they thrive and are beautiful. Even today, many gardeners remain sceptical about growing evergreen magnolias in our climate, despite the countless established specimens that prove that not everything is as we once thought.

The same is true of camellias, which until the end of the second millennium were enjoyed almost exclusively by growers in the warmer parts of Europe, with the exception of the driest coastal or mountainous regions, and by gardeners in the southern parts of the British Isles. Thanks to the enthusiasm, vision and, above all, the honest breeding work of two American botanists in particular, our green world has been enriched by these undeniably captivating, evergreen, flowering shrubs, in an ever‑increasing range of cultivars capable of withstanding temperatures of −20 °C to −24 °C in some cases, provided they are planted correctly. These remarkable men were Dr Clifford Parks (†2020) of the University of North Carolina, who focused primarily on spring‑flowering camellias and became renowned for his April series, and Dr William L. Ackerman (†2013) of Ashton, Maryland, who initially devoted himself to his passion for breeding highly fragrant camellias. Only after the severe winters of the 1970s and 1980s, when he witnessed countless mature and well‑established shrubs perish after a single harsh winter, did he have a change of heart, and his goal became to give the world camellias with enhanced frost resistance. Quite literally so, as he distributed his plant material freely, without seeking any financial reward or legal protection. His cultivars are predominantly autumn‑flowering, including both Camellia sasanqua and hybrid forms.

Although the exact parentage of some older cultivars appears difficult to trace and in many cases they are complex hybrids, we respect the accepted names in nomenclature, even when they are listed as Camellia japonica or Camellia sasanqua. Incidentally, did you know that the camellia was named in honour of Czech amateur botanist and missionary in the Philippines Jiří Josef Kamel? He himself never saw the plant, as the first specimen was brought from Asia to Europe only in 1739, thirty‑three years after his death. His significant contribution to botany was recognised by one of the greatest of all, Carl Linnaeus himself.