INTERNATIONAL
CAMELLIA SOCIETY
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WHAT'S NEW as of 25 June 2009
New dates in the Calendar A note about the e-mail format used throughout the ICS website, to forestall spam mailings |
The ICS is a non-profit organization devoted to the genus Camellia, founded April 1962. Its yearly publication is the International Camellia Journal. As the official registrar for the genus Camellia, the ICS maintains the International Camellia Register, which is now available online. The ICS is also an important center for research in the genus Camellia, through its Otomo Fund. The society has more than 2,000 members worldwide.
Camellia of the Month
'Hazel's Gift', sent in by Charles Lee, of New South Wales, Australia. The photo was taken at one of the area's local meetings, where it was the champion bloom on the day.
'Hazel's Gift' is a chance seedling of C.japonica ‘Aspasia Macarther’ which has a significant history base in the Australian Camellia world, and a list of sports as long as one’s arm, as Charles points out. The sports include ‘Margaret Davis’, ‘Lady Loch’, ‘Jean Clere’, ‘Strawberry Blonde’, and ‘Just Sue’, among others. C.japonica ‘Hazel’s Gift’ first flowered in 1982 in the garden of the mother of one of our local camellia enthusiasts, Bill Mitchell, who lives in Wagga Wagga, NSW, he writes. After much deliberation Bill registered the bloom in 2008. I have had a small plant for about two years, Bill has a number of “adult” plants about 3 metres (10 ft) tall and he has supplied those interested with cuttings, scions and/or small plants. The great aspect of the bloom is its long flowering season and the natural change of form from formal double to rose form to an informal double of 13 x 6 cm (5 in. x 2.4 in.).
Send the ICS website a photo of one of your favourite camellias for our "Camellia of the month" display. Tell us a little bit about it -- where it originated and when, and why you like it!
