Camellian Vol 46 no 2 Spring 2020 PAGE... · Camellian Vol. 46 No. 2 Spring 2020 3 President’s Message Dennis Hart New Orleans, Louisiana and Laura Holmes, Ken and Kay Clark, Art

Spring 2020 Volume 46 No. 2

Camellian

A Publication of the Gulf Coast Camellia Society

THE GULF COAST

C. japonica ‘Sweet Auburn’.

2 Camellian Vol. 46 No. 2 Spring 2020

Volume 46 No. 2 Spring 2020

The Gulf Coast Camellian

ContentsCover - c. japonica ‘Sweet Auburn’ ..............................................page 11Contents............................................................................................page 2President’s Message .........................................................................page 3GCCS Honaray Award ....................................................................page 4A Camellian’s Diary.........................................................................page 5The Silky Camellia ........................................................................page 8North Shore Camellia Show .........................................................page 11Baton Rouge Camellia Show ........................................................page 14Around the Gulf Coast....................................................................page 16Celebration at UWF Garden ............................................................Page 18Brookhaven Show ..........................................................................page 20C. costei .........................................................................................page 22Perlite and Vermiculite ...................................................................page 23n the Spring Garden .......................................................................page 26Camellia Quiz.................................................................................page 27Editor’s Notes.................................................................................page 28Camellia Websites...........................................................................page 29About the Gulf Coast Camellia Society..........................................page 30GCCS Officers................................................................................page 31Back Cover - Photo courtesy Don and Carolyn Oyler..................page 32

From the Cover ……

Camellia japonica ‘Sweet Auburn’

Very large 5.5” x 3” to 3.5:”. First bloomed in mid-1950s.Originator unknown but registered in 2014 andpropagated by the Auburn-Opelika Men’s Camellia Clubof Auburn, Alabama. See page 17 for variegated form.

3Camellian Vol. 46 No. 2 Spring 2020

President’s MessageDennis Hart

New Orleans, Louisiana

and Laura Holmes, Ken and Kay Clark,Art and Eva Hoover, Lynn Vicknair,Rebecca Christian and many others.

On Saturday, January 4th the North-shore Camellia Society once again heldtheir show at the historic Southern Hotelin Covington. The weather was beautifuland so were the blooms. Thanks to Presi-dent Hunter Charbonnet and to all the clubmembers for another great show.

The Southeast Alabama CamelliaClub held their monthly meeting on Tues-day, January 14th at the Dothan AreaBotanical Gardens. This is a great locationfor a meeting and to see the delightful

gardens includingthe camelliagarden. Thank youto President AllenBourland, ProgramChairman MaxMcKinney, and toall the clubmembers for awarm welcome.

On Saturday,January 25th theCamellia Club ofNew Orleans forthe second year hadtheir show atDelgado Commu-

nity College next to City Park in NewOrleans. The weather was delightful withlots of visitors and camellia plants sold.Thank you to Show Chairman NickPiazza, President John Grimm, and PlantSales Chairmen Rick Poche and AndyHoudek for putting together another greatshow.

Greetings to all camellia lovers! I hopesome of your camellia bushes are

still blooming. The weather was morechallenging this season compared to otherseasons. I also hope you were able toattend some of the camellia shows this falland winter. Thank you to everybody whoplans, organizes, attends, and bringsflowers to the shows!

I am still trying to visit as many of theclubs and club members as possible.

On Saturday, November 23rd, theMississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Societykicked off the camellia show season at theLyman Community Center in Gulfport.Thanks to PresidentAnn Miller andShow ChairmanSteve Manis foranother great startto the season.

On Sunday,December 1st, Iattended themonthly meeting ofthe Camellia Clubof South Alabamaat the lovely homeof Vaughn andLinda Drinkard inMobile. This was afun holiday eventwith a lively plant auction too. Thank youto President Brenda Litchfield for invitingme.

The Baton Rouge Camellia Societyheld their annual Christmas party onTuesday evening December 10th at thecharming home of Susan and Carl Hult-gren. Celebrating the holidays were Joe

C. jap. ‘Joy Kendrick’ 1985, Tammia Nsy, Slidell, LAA winner for Dennis Hart at the New Orleans Show.


If you are driving south throughFlorida on I-75 to get to Orlando or theTampa Bay area, you will pass Gaines-ville. The Wilmot Botanical Gardens arelocated two miles off the interstate on theUniversity of Florida campus in themedical center area. These gardens arewell worth visiting during camelliaseason. On January 20th Doctor CraigTisher gave us a tour of the gardens andits many camellias. Doctor Tisher is in theprocess of moving more camellias fromthe private gardens of Clarence andLillian Gordy in Ocala to Wilmot. See thearticle about this relocation effort in theWinter, 2020 edition of The Camellian.GCCS provided financial support for thisproject.

The Brookhaven Camellia Societyshow was held on Saturday, February 1st

at The Event Center in Brookhaven. Thiswas the site of our GCCS annual confer-ence in October, 2019. The Judges Dinner

Brookhaven Judges Lunch at Woodleigh

was held Friday evening at a lovely homein the country not far from town. And adelightful Judges Lunch took place atWoodleigh in Brookhaven, the home ofBetty Ann Perkins. A big thank you toPresident Bill Perkins for organizing theshow and all the events.

In summary, keep learning moreabout camellias, recruit some new mem-bers, and have fun!


A Camellian’s DiaryBy Caroline Dickson, Poplarville, MS

What’s in a name?Not winning at thecamellia show.

We had to disqualify the most beautifulfull peony dark red bloom for not being“Professor Sargent” at the Pensacola Camel-lia Show in December 2019. The judge teamexamined the bloom closely and decided itwas not named correctly. There were noouter guard petals. The color was darker redthan expected. The petals were each largerthan expected. The petals were dense inconformation with no stamens visible.

I used to carry a list of “Big Red Ball”conformation camellias written in the backof my Nomenclature book. The list included‘Professor Charles Sargent,’ ‘Fire Falls,’‘Grand Marshall,’ ‘Imperator’ (American),‘Big Daddy’ (Imperator France).

There is usually at least one erroneouslynamed gorgeous bloom at each show andsometimes they are mine. One of my biggestmistakes is on the entry card format that hasthe check list without the name line justunder the ACS logo. The second place towrite the name on these cards is not visibleand the first is covered when the card isclosed. I do my entry card in pencil incasethey get wet. I can recycle the card but haveforgotten to erase the prior entry name fromthe side that is “on the back” during the dataentry.

The next mistake is from cards filled outin advance of the show. I simply pick up thewrong card in the midst of the rush to getblooms placed.

I regret that the entered bloom wasmis-named so the team put a question markon the card and continued to judge theassigned section. The bloom was not identi-fied before contention started by any otherjudge.

Noninvasive CamelliasAs Camellians we try to participate

in well rounded garden practicesendorsed by our gardening friends fromother organizations. There are volumeswritten about landscape plants thatescaped to be a problem in localizedareas. For South Mississippi, privet isthe most prolific escaped plant. Privetremains a popular landscape plant thatoffers large multiple blooms on eachstem in the spring. Unfortunately, theblooms form multiple seeds that rooteasily.

C. japonica ‘ProfessorCharles S. Sargent’

C. japonica“Imperator’

C. japonica‘Grand Marshall’


When asked if Camellias are invasive,the answer can be “not if properlyselected”. This would mean that thegardener would have sterile formaldoubles in their Garden which by defini-tion do not form seeds. In the Nomencla-ture book, the term “formal double” isused and has no description of stamens.

The Nomenclature book has beencorrected over the years to take out“formal double to semidouble” as adescription of a flower that does not showstamens early in the season, but will showstamens late in the bloom season. Like anyother flower, the semidoubles have repro-ductive ability to form seeds.

There are prolific numbers of formaldouble Camellia flowers. Some of thefavorites are‘Alba Plena,’‘Pink Perfec-tion,’ ‘OctoberAffair,’ ‘BlackTie,’ ‘PrinceEugene Napo-leon,’ ‘SeaFoam,’ ‘Nuc-cio’s BellaRosa,’ ‘Nuc-cio’s Cameo,’‘Nuccio’s Gem,’ ‘Nuccio’s Pearl,’ ‘JoyKendrick,’ ‘Campari,’ ‘Chansonette,’‘Brooke,’ ‘Buttermint,’ ‘Brother Rose,’‘Tudor Baby’ and ‘Bella Romana’ toinclude a few regularly available in nurs-eries.

At theother end ofthe spectrumare prolificseed producersthat are com-m e r c i a l l yimportant forseeds to bepressed toextract oil.

Camellia oleifera flowers are miniaturewhite and fragrant. The plant will growto 22 feet as a small tree. It may beavailable from a nursery marketed asfragrant.

There are some semidouble Camelliasthat have been in landscape use that setseeds so rarely that the pod will attractspecial attention. Species vernalis rarely

p r o d u c e smature fertileseeds and hashad interestfrom thenursery indus-try by rescueof immatureseed tissue.An exampleof vernalis is

‘Egao’. My fifteen year old ‘Egao’ willhave a thousand blooms over the season,but only one seed pod by mid-summer.

What do Camellians do with newscience information about a namedCamellia?

GCCS helped fund graduate researchat North Carolina State by Dr. T Ranneyand Will Hembree. The expanded pub-lished results reviewed systems to identifyplants that extend back hundreds of years.Yet, here we are seventy years from thebeginning of DNA research still askingabout Camellia divisions at local shows.

Two flow cytology results identifieda nucleus weight equal to only the mother,explained as an excited ovary spontane-ously cloned maternal tissue. What are wegoing to do with ‘Scarlet Temptation’which appears in the Reticulata section ofthe Nomenclature Book? The flower isdescribed as bright rose red single. Parentsare reported to be non-retic Hybrid ‘Wil-liam’s Lavender’ crossed with reticulata‘Purple Crown’. Neither of which is solidred.

C. japonica ‘Pink Perfection’formal double.

Camellia oleifera

C. vernalis ‘Egao’


‘William’s Lavender’ is a relatively oldintroduction with a vague parent report of“Saluenensis x Japonica” registered in1950 by Fruitland Nursery. The Atlantic

Coast Camelliaencyclopedia addsthat the seed wasimported fromEngland for Wil-liam’s Lavender. Itis listed as a parentfor numerouspopular hybrids.

Parent ‘Purple Crown’ is listed in theReticulata section. It also has an olderintroduction date of 1948. The Chinesename is ‘Zipao’ for the plant imported toDescano Gardens for Mr. Peer. The floweris described as Dark Purple Red with pinstripes of white and red and has 2=6x=90chromosomes reported in 1956.

Will ‘Scarlet Temptation’ be listed asanother name for ‘Purple Crown’ or rec-ognized as a sport of ‘Purple Crown’ dueto the different color?

The other nucleus that suggestedmaternal tissue only was “Starry Pillar”which appears on the Nuccio web sitesasanqua section as a chance seeding withestimated parents. It does not appear in theSCC Nomenclature book which onlymeans no registration request has beenfiled.

Each of these flowers started withvague information to receive a new name.This is found through older books where“chance seedling” or grown from seedfrom another source is reported to havebeen a new cultivar.

Hybrids studied by flow cytology thatdeviated from predicted genetic mate-rial were reported:

‘Artic Dawn’ 2005 Ackerman –‘November Pink’(h) x Oleifera ‘Lu ShanSnow’

‘Fire N Ice’ 1992 Ackerman - ‘TricolorSiebold’(j) x Oleifera

‘Ice Follies’ 1992 Ackerman –‘November Pink’(h) x Oleifera ‘Lu ShanSnow’

‘Pink Icicle’ 1996 Ackerman –‘November Pink’(h) x Oleifera ‘Lu ShanSnow’

‘Red Fellow’ 2000 Ackerman – ‘Tri-color Red Siebold’(j) x Oleifera ‘PlainJane’

‘Spring Cardinal’ 1999 Ackerman x‘Tricolor Red Siebold’(j) x Oleifera ‘PlainJane’

‘Spring Circus’ 1995 Ackerman –‘Tricolor Red Siebold’(j) x Oleifera ‘PlainJane’

Information problems with reportedparents include that ‘Tricolor Siebold’dates back to the early 1800s by multiplenames in multiple countries.

Oleifera has different characters indifferent countries so specific names weregiven to plants that Dr. Ackerman identi-fied as parents of hybrids. Oleifera isreported through history with variousnumbers of chromosomes as 60, 90, and120.

‘November Pink’ dates to 1951 withvague description of parents as Saluenen-sis x Japonica from England.

These flowering plants have beenstudied for cold hardiness which is stillvalid information.

Actual DNA sequence research is timeintensive and expensive. OrnamentalCamellia research is ongoing. To donateto Camellia Research at the MountainHorticultural Crops and Extension Center,make a check payable to the NC StateHorticulture Foundation and mail to Dr.Thomas Ranney, 455 Research Drive,Mills River, N.C. 28759.

‘William’s Lavender’(photo Bradford King)


THE SILKY CAMELLIABy Ruby G. Campbell, Baton Rouge, LA

While in the midst of surfing theInternet, an item from the U. S.

Forest Service about a “silky camellia”popped up. A Silky Camellia? Whatis this? Surely the US Department ofAgriculture was not referring to oneof Coco Chanel’s creations! No, thisis a plant native to the Gulf Coastregion extending from SoutheasternVirginia, down the Atlantic Coast, andacross the Gulf South including Loui-siana, and some parts of Arkansas, andTexas. How has this plant escaped beingfound by this writer and the editor ofthis journal who spent many hourswandering through fields, and streams,and byways across this area searchingfor native plants, rocks, fossils, etc.?We have found stands of wild musca-dines along Bayou Sara in the Felici-anas where we also buried awatermelon in the sand of the coolwaters of the stream for a treat on ourreturn trip. We have come upon theBigleaf Magnolia (magnolia macro-phylla) along the roadways in this areabefore US Highway 61 became a widethoroughfare. We have enjoyed thepatches of redbud and dogwood alongthe Natchez Trace, and the multi-huedreds, salmon and yellows of theswamp maples (acer rubrum var.drummondii) in the Atchafalaya Basin.We’ve even had the pure joy of dis-covering a huge franklinia (frankliniaalatamaha) in the back yard of a NorthCarolina resident. Ok, so it wasn’tgrowing in the wild, but it was stillfascinating! Franklinia (franklinia alatamaha)

The Silky Camellia

Range of Silky Camellia


But, at no time did we everstumble across a silky camellia. Factis, we’d never even heard of it. Andnow that the rambling days of thesetwo octogenarians (one to be a nona-genarian by the time this is printed)are over, we will have to settle forreading about it. And that’s not sobad, for it eliminates the mosquitosand red bugs, the heat and scratchesfrom brambles, and the fear ofmeeting with any sort of snake. Scientifically known as Stewartiamalacodendron, the silky camellia isnot a true a camellia, but a distantrelative of the Japanese camellia ofthe tea family, Theaceae. This shrubor small tree grows up to 10-15 feethigh. Its height may be the reason thiswriter never saw the plant: she wasalways looking down wary of snakes! The U. S. Forest Service furtherdescribes the shrub as havingbranches which spread horizontally“such that the leaves and twigs appearto be in one plane. The dark greenoval leaves which turn buttery yellowto orange and red in the fall are 2-4inches long and 1-2 inches wide andthe large and showy petals of theblooms are on short stalks that liftthem above the leaves. The elongatedsilky-pubescent buds open into sau-cer-shaped blooms 2-3 inches acrossand consist of five white petalscrimped at the margins and wider atthe tip with a center of forty to fiftydark purple stamens and bluishanthers.” While the plant does grow in theGulf South as an “understory” plantin wooded bluffs, ravine slopes andcreek banks, the silky camellia doesnot form large stands, but generallyoccurs in small localized groups ofthree to ten plants.

Stewartia malacodendron, the silky camellia

Bigleaf Magnolia (magnolia macrophylla)

Swamp Maple (acer rubrum var. drummondii)


As with many native plants, thesilky camellia does not transplantvery well, Those who haveattempted to cultivate them havefound it difficult to maintain andreproduce. They seem to be short-lived and “finicky” as to site loca-tion, but it is a plant we would havetried to grow along with our GrancyGraybeard, Big Leaf Magnolia andFranklinia with probably the sameresults.

Stewartia was named in honorof John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute(1713-92), a patron of botany whowas closely involved with thegardens at Kew from 1737 until1772. In 1784, Bute published hisnine volume Botanical Tables anddedicated them to Queen Charlotteof Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife ofKing George III of Great Britain andIreland, herself an amateur botanistwho took great interest in KewGardens. Bute described the workas “composed solely for the Amuse-ment of the Fair Sex under theProtection” of the Queen. Not onlydid this publication with its accom-panying dedication increase QueenCharlotte’s patronage of botanicalstudies, but it also signaled hersupport for botany as a subject suit-able for feminine study. The species name, malacon-dendeon, comes from the Greekwords malakos meaning “soft,” anddendron meaning “tree.” Thecommon name “silky camellia”refers to the texture of the petals.What excitement finding such a treewould have been!

John Stuart,3rd Earl of Bute

Queen Charlottewife of

King George III

Flowers on a branch of Stewartia

Earl of Bute's text dedicated to Queen


Hunter Charbonnet realized his inter-est in growing camellias had reached

a new level when he arose in the middleof the night to spray the nocturnal beetlesfeasting on his bushes’ leaves. His actionsdrew the attention of a St. TammanyParish Sheriff’s deputy who was patrol-ling the neighborhood. The deputythought Charbonnet had been drinking orquarreling with his wife.

“I decided to show him the bugs andwhat I was spraying and give him a littleeducation from the little bit I knew at thetime," hesaid. WhenCharbonnettold him hegrew camel-lias as ahobby, thed e p u t yoffered apiece ofadvice. “Hesaid ‘I don’tknow any-thing aboutcame l l i a s ,but I know ifyou get a different hobby, you’d get a lotbetter sleep at night.’ He got in his car anddrove off,” Charbonnet said. “I figured ifI’m out in the middle of the night dealingwith my camellias, it’s no longer a hobby.It’s a passion."

Charbonnet is one of 75 members ofthe Northshore Camellia Club who sharethat passion. Founded by a group of local

Northshore Camellia Club SeesBeauty in the Bloom

From the St. Tammany Farmer,By Sarah Bonnette, Contributing writer

Photos by staff photographer Grant Therkildsen

growers in 2005, the club’s mission is to"promote the interest in and understandingof the various camellia species, especiallythose grown within our area,” said Char-bonnet, who’s served as the club’s presi-dent for the past five years.

Being part of the club gives growers“interaction with people who have actualexperiences and can share their storiesabout what works and what doesn’t work,what’s a great flower and what’s not agood flower, what grows well and whatdoesn’t,” he said.

The club pro-vides educa-t i o n a lexperiencesthrough fieldtrips andduring itsm e m b e r sm e e t i n g sheld the thirdSunday ofthe monthfrom Sep-tember toMay. Them e e t i n g s

take place at the Riverwood Subdivisionclubhouse near Covington.

The group also maintains a Facebookpage and website as part of its outreachand performs community service. Forexample, group members have plantedcamellia bushes at the Alexander MilneDevelopmental Services building in Cov-ington and have given talks at various

The Northshore Camellia Club held its 12th annual show at theSouthern Hotel in Covington, LA


New to the show this year was acategory specifically for St. TammanyParish growers who own less than 25plants. “They also could bring their

flowers in and compete and try to get upto the head table as well,” Charbonnetsaid. “It’s another way to draw people intoseeing how many different varieties thereare. Most of what you see in that show youcan’t find in the local nurseries.”

While there are numerous species ofcamellias, there are three types of thelandscape shrub: sasanqua, japonica andreticulata. Each blooms at a different time

garden clubs. “The information we’retrying to pass on is the proper care, prop-agation, cultivation and history of camel-lias,” Charbonnet said. And one way theclub shares information is through exhib-iting flowers at camellia shows.

Most recently, the Northshore Camel-lia Club’s 12th annual show took placeJan. 4 at the Southern Hotel in downtownCovington. Exhibitors from across theGulf Region brought hundreds of bloomsto be judged on four criteria: form, color,size and condition. The judging standardsdepend on the particular variety beingevaluated, and dozens of awards werepresented. Novice growers also partici-pated in the show, displaying their bloomsand identifying unknown varieties withthe help of club members. “We make iteasy because we want them to enjoyparticipating and learning more about thecamellias while they’re there,” Charbon-net said.

Hunter Charbonnet, president of the NorthshoreCamellia Club, with Stacey Scott, Novice Winnerof Best St. Tammany Pink Bloom with her ‘MarieBracey’

C. japonica ‘Marie Brecey’

Dozens of blooms line a table at the NorthshoreCamellia Club show.


during the typical blooming season, whichruns from November to early March,depending on the weather. The bushes areknown as the “Queen of Winter” becausethey are just about the only shrub bloom-ing in the dead of winter. "It adds color

A c. japonica ‘Mrs. D. W. Davis Descanso’ wonbest Very Large for James Smelley.

to a very dreary time of year,” Charbon-net said. “And they’re great for display-ing.

Charbonnet’s history with the flow-ering bush goes back further than hislate-night spraying experience. His fathergrew camellias at his office and broughtthem home, along with the blue and redribbons he won at camellia shows. “Henever took me to a show, but I justremember him bringing flowers home.And I really liked the flowers,” Charbon-net said.

His father-in-law also enjoyed prop-agating new ones at his home in Slidell,Charbonnet said. “He didn’t have a lot ofvarieties, but he had about 25 plants ofthe same three varieties.”

When Charbonnet and his wifemoved to the north shore in 1992, theydecided to add more camellias to theirgarden. They’d pick up varieties theycouldn’t find locally when passing nurs-eries taking their kids to and from college.

“It got to the point where my drive-way was so crowded I couldn’t even parkthe car anymore,” he said.

Charbonnet’s favorite camelliavariety “depends on the next show I goto, because there’s always a flower therethat’s a good-looking flower that I don’thave. It’s why I have over 550 differentvarieties now,” he said.

In other words, it's a passion. “Pas-sions have certain rules that are quitedifferent from hobbies. Passions are notnecessarily relaxing. They don’t leaveyou alone. They insert themselveswhether you have time for them or not.They assist you, but at the same timedrive you crazy. And they exert a highprice from us, but we never seem tomind,” Charbonnet said.

Wayne and Barbara Naquin examine a bloom.


T he Baton RougeCamellia Society(BRCS) held its 49th

Annual Camellia Show onFebruary 8 and 9, 2020, in theRural Life Museum at the BurdenMuseum and Gardens in BatonRouge. Bloom numbers werelower than usual with only 701blooms exhibited (usual numberexceeds 1000). Many exhibitorsblamed the scarcity of blooms onthe unusually early and extremecold snap on November 13, 2019,in the Baton Rouge area.Temperatures were in the low20s for one night. Previously, thetemperatures had been in the 80sand returned to that within daysafter the freeze. Most attendeesreported massive bud dropshortly after the freeze andcontinued bud drop in the weeksfollowing. To exacerbate theshortage of potential blooms toenter in the show, the return ofwarm temperatures following thefreeze event accompanied by wetand humid conditionscontributed to the explosion ofearly petal blight. In my gardenin St. Francisville, buds thatdidn’t drop seemed to open withpetal blight! Clearly this has notbeen a great camellia showseason weather-wise in southLouisiana.

Additionally, the low bloomcount resulted from severaljudges/exhibitors who regularly

The Baton Rouge Camellia Society Show

By Laura Holmes, St. Francisville, LA

Paul Huerkamp, Gordon Rabalais, Larry Bates and Joe Holmes

Judges hard at work.

C. jap. ‘J. Bird’ 1999 by JayEllis Jr.,, FL Exhibited byPaul Huerkamp, Pearl River,MS

C. jap. ‘Overlook White’ 1961by K. Sawada, Overlook Nsy,

Mobile, ALExhibited by Al and Vickie

Baugh, Mobile, AL


attend our show not being able toattend this year. Two regularattendees who normally enterover 100 blooms each wereabsent. Hopefully, they will beback next year.

But there are always antsmoving rubber tree plants (orcamellias)! Despite the weather’scurve balls, entrants providedsome spectacular blooms.Winning blooms included a Trayof 3 –‘Royal Velvet Var.’, BestWhite – ‘Sea Foam’, and ‘GrandPrix’, ’Frank Houser Var.’, andthe best Princess Masako I’veseen.

There were other bright spotsin the show and associatedcamellia plant sale. This year, forthe first time, our awards werehand-painted porcelain plates,bowls and platter. BRCSmember Ann Ruth painted eachpiece with a camellia bloom(which she identified on theback). Ann spent the past yearpainting and firing the 20+awards. Bloom entrants and thepublic were wowed by theseawards and many wanted topurchase them. Get busy, Ann –quit your day job! Winners whodid not get a hand-paintedporcelain were awarded theirchoice of a camellia plant grownby the BRCS.

The other success of theBRCS show included selling over300 camellia plants and having320 of the public attend theviewings on Saturday andSunday.

Kay Clark mans the GCCS table.

Sweepstakes Award

C. jap. ‘Tammia’ 1971,Tammia Nsy, Slidell, LA

Exhibited by Jane Halley,Picayune, MS

Porcelain awards hand-painted by Ann Ruth

C. jap. ‘Royal Velvet’1987,Nuccio’s, CA

Exhibited by Mike Ruth,Baton Rouge, LA


AROUND THE GULF COAST

Dennis and Lyn Hart's sons Matthew and Alex.Matthew is holding his son, baby Beau,.

What a beautiful place to have a camellia show.The Hobart Horticultural Society Spring 2019 Show

in the Town Hall, Hobart, Tasmania.

Sign at Jim Smelley’s Greenhouse, Moss Point, MS

Hunter and MegCharbonnet’s

Christmas Tree


AROUND THE GULF COAST

Grafting Day by the Mobile Camellia Society atJim Smelley’s Nsy. in Moss Point, MS

Black Magic

' Dr Frankenfurter' a cleverlyphotoshopped sasanqua from

Australia.‘Peggy’s Blush Pensacola Show.

‘Sweet Auburn Var.’ Registered 2014 byAuburn-Opelika Men’s Camellia Club.

Sign at Jim Smelley’s Greenhouse, Moss Point, MS


PENSACOLA Camellia ClubValentine's celebration at UWF Camellia Garden.

Photos by Norman Vickers

Here are some photos taken at the Valentine's Daycelebration at University of West Florida Camellia

Garden.It was great to hear the $25,000 anonymous donation

to the upkeep of the gardens by the Pensacola CamelliaClub and also to learn that UWF Camellia Garden has beennamed as part of the ACS Camellia Trail. See new signdesignating same.

Skip Vogelsang tells history of the garden.

Listening to UFW President Martha Saunders

Martha Saunders


Paul Bruno, DickHooton and MarthaSaunders

Martha Saunders, Ph. D. isPresident of UWF and hasbeen most cooperative andhelpful in recent develop-ments at UWF CamelliaGarden. It was appropriateon Valentine's Day for theannouncement of the giftof $25,000 toward devel-opment of the UWFCamellia Garden as well asthe announcement aboutthe inclusion of UWFCamellia Garden on theACS Camellia Trail.

Howard J. Reddy is VPof University Advance-ment at UWF. He'sworked closely with thePCC toward the develop-ment of the UWF CamelliaGarden, a co-operativeeffort of UWF, The UWFEmployees Associationand the Pensacola Camel-lia Club.

Roger Vinson, Skip Vogelsang and Howard Reddy

John Mate and Dick Hooton


The Brookhaven CamelliaSociety held its 57th show

at “The Homestead atBrookhaven Nurseries” February2nd with nearly 700 bloomsentered. That’s about 200blooms fewer than last yearsimply due to weather condi-tions. We heard that some othershows of the region experiencedmuch the same. Probably thelong early freeze at the verybeginning of Novemberdamaged or destroyed the youngtender buds since many budsturned brown and fell to theground soon after without evenproducing a bloom. And thatearly freeze which sent themercury down into the lower20sF caused many of the budsthat survived to produce onlyblemished blooms. And asalways there were a few morefrosts and freezes although brief.I have never seen gardens hereduring winter so void of color.However, there were enoughplants here and nearby thatendured producing brilliantblooms to enter. No protectedwere brought so we didn’t havethat category. Another categoryunique to Brookhaven is the“Tom Perkins” which originatedhere. No one had even one toenter this year so that wasanother category missing. Wecan’t remember a year thisoccurred. Mother Nature has hermoments!

Brookhaven Camellia Society Show 2020By Bill Perkins

(Below)C. nr hyb. ‘Tom

Perkins’ 1944, F,Becker II,

Brookhaven, MS


In spite of this circumstancethe event went very well begin-ning with a bountiful and deli-cious feast for the Judges Dinnerat a member’s home nearBrookhaven the evening beforethe show. We expanded thistradition to include as manyBSC members as could make itas well as inviting sponsors andeven Lincoln County MasterGardeners. With such a finevenue this occasion allows us tovisit and get to know our judgesin an elegant yet casual settingbefore the show. After the judging was com-plete the judges and some out oftown guests joined us for theJudges Lunch at nearby“Woodleigh”, the home of BettyAnn Perkins and former homeof Tom “Brother” Perkins.While there, many judges tookadvantage of the nice sunny daycollecting scions from the morethan 60 camellias on the groundsof “Woodleigh” and even ourgracious neighbors where therewas a glorious “Tom Herrin”loaded with blooms. This hardycamellia is so resilient it defiesclimate issues here. Cuttingswere taken also from the manyHigos there at “Woodleigh”. Weare considering having a cate-gory for these in our futureshows. Tom Perkins broughtmany to the States from Chinaand Japan during his years asPresident of the ICS. We alwaysencourage sharing so hopefullyothers will enjoy these soon intheir gardens and nurseries!

Woodleigh”, the home of Betty Ann Perkins and former home ofTom Perkins.

Dining Room at “Woodleigh”

C. jap. ‘Tom Herrin’ 1961 F. Becker II, Pensacola, FL


Camellia costei H. Lev.From Trees and Shrubs Outline

C. costei lx a shrub or tree 1.5-5 m. highBranchlets yellowish grey, shortlypubescent. Leaves papery or thin andleathery, 5-8 x 1.5 -3.5 cm, elliptic tooblong, upper surface dark green withminute hairs, particularly along themidrib, lower surface pale green andstrigose, six to eight secondary veins oneach side of the midrib, margins minutelyserrate, apex acuminate to caudate; petiole0.2-0.5 cm long, pubescent. Flowersaxillary, solitary; pedicel 0.2-0.5 cm long.Bracteoles four to five, 0.05-0.15 cm long,outside densely pubescent; calyx five-lobed, outside densely pubescent; petalsfive (to seven), white or pale purplish redin bud, obovate, 1-2.5 cm long, apexemarginate; stamens numerous, 1.2-1.8cm long; ovary glabrous. Capsulesubglobose, 1-1.5 cm diameter, green topurplish red, surmounted by the elongatedstyle, usually with a single seed.Flowering February to March, fruitingSeptember to October (China). Ming &Bartholomew 2007.Distribution: CHINA: northern Guangxi,Guizhou, western Hubei, western Hunan,Sichuan, Yunnan.Habitat: Forest between 400 and 1500(-2000) m above sea level.USDA Hardiness Zone: 8.

Although its slightly scented flowers arerather small, they are freely produced inearly spring and make Camellia costei aworthy garden plant. The neat narrowfoliage is also attractive, especially as the

new growth is reddish on emergence(Camellia Forest Nursery 2007-2008). Itis cultivated in southern California, whereit seems to do well, and is offered byCamellia Forest Nursery, North Carolina.

Genus: CamelliaSpecies: costei

Synonyms: C. dubia Sealy, C. subacutissima Hung T. Chang

This c. costei growing in my yard in BatonRouge is making a good comeback afterbeing flattened by a broken tree in a recenthurricane. - Kenn Campbell


We have all seen recommendationsfor use of perlite and vermiculite

in various soil mixes and have probablyused it many times. But what is perliteand vermiculite and why is it used andwhat's the difference? Perhaps you’reaware that both help influence soilretention, but you’re confused aboutwhich is right for your needs. You can’tuse the two interchangeably. There areimportant differences between perlite andvermiculite, and to make your gardenflourish, you need to understand whichis better for your particular needs.

When looking for a quick answer, thebottom line is that vermiculite mixes intothe soil to help retain water. Perlite, onthe other hand, adds drainage to the soil.There’s much more to it than that,though, so read on for all the essentialdetails.

Perlite: Wikipedia defines expandedperlite as an amorphous volcanic glassthat has a relatively high water content,typically formed by the hydration ofobsidian. It occurs naturally and has theunusual property of greatly expandingwhen heated sufficiently. Perlite softenswhen it reaches temperatures of 850–900°C (1,560–1,650 °F). Water trapped inthe structure of the material vaporizes andescapes, and this causes the expansion ofthe material to 7–16 times its originalvolume. The expanded material is abrilliant white, due to the reflectivity ofthe trapped bubbles.

Perlite usually comes in three sizegrades, fine, medium and coarse.

Coarse perlite is used more often indeeper soil cultivations such as raised

beds or if the soil has strong waterholding characteristics – clay soils etc.

Medium grade perlite is used morein larger potting applications or windowboxes.

Fine grade is only used with seedstarting mixes or cutting mixes.

There are no hard and fast rules aboutwhich grade should be used. Whenunsure, a medium grade will usually beOK for most applications.

The main use for perlite around thegarden is for drainage. Because perlite isan expanded glass material it will notcompact. When you added to soil orcompost, it keeps the soil structure fromclosing up and becoming dense.

Perlite and Vermiculite

Perlite boulders with fireweed in foreground.

Medium Grade Perlite


Dense compacted soil will hold waterwithin its structure and prevent the freemovement of water through it, therebystopping drainage. As mentioned beforeperlite can also help to hold vital nutrientswithin its cavities for growing plants.

Perlite can be added to potted plants,raised beds or mixed in with the soil inthe ground. Perlite is a very useful andcan be used in all applications aroundyour garden and home. It allows the rootsof the plants to grow uninhibited andprovides a clear path for water air andnutrients to get easy access as the soil isnot compacted, worms and other insectscan enhance the soil further.

Vermiculite: From Wikipedia -Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicatemineral. It undergoes significantexpansion when heated. Exfoliationoccurs when the mineral is heatedsufficiently, and the effect is routinelyproduced in commercial furnaces.

Vermiculite is formed by weathering orhydrothermal alteration of biotite orphlogopite. Large commercialvermiculite mines currently exist inRussia, South Africa, China, and Brazil.

Vermiculite was first described in1824 for an occurrence in Millbury,Massachusetts. Its name is from Latin

vermiculare, ‘to breed worms,’ for themanner in which it exfoliates whenheated.

Vermiculite interacts with the

potassium, calcium, and magnesium inthe soil. It also can raise the pH level ofyour plants, even though vermiculite hasa pH of 7.0.

When water is added to vermiculite,the flakes grow and expand, resemblinga worm-like shape that absorbs like asponge. When planting something thatloves water, add a scoop of vermiculiteto the potting soil. The plants will be inheaven because vermiculite absorbs 3-4times its volume!Vermiculite is a permanent soilconditioner. That means, unlike compost,it does not break down in the soil. Whenwater is added, or it rains, vermiculitewill continue to hold water in the soiluntil the soil dries out.

Here are some reasons to use perlite:* Eliminate surface crusting and puddlesin clay soils.* Maintain a steady soil temperature.* Improve drainage.*Allow more oxygen flow into the soil.

Vermiculite Ore

Exfoliated Vermiculite


Here are some ideas for usingvermiculite in your garden:* Use it in potting containers, lawns, orin composts to retain moisture.* Add it to mushroom growing substrate.* Incorporate it into the soil to make itless dense. Use it as a cover layer to helpseeds germinate.* Help cuttings retain moisture and plantfoods by adding it to the soil.* When combined with peat moss orcompost, it helps to encourage faster rootgrowth, providing better stability foryoung roots.

Vermiculite vs. Perlite: Remember thatthese amendments are notinterchangeable. Each performs adifferent yet important function.Understanding these differences allowsyou to help your plants flourish. Thereare some significant differences when itcomes to vermiculite vs perlite, so youhave to pick the right one for your needs.

Drainage: Vermiculite mixes with thesoil and helps to retain water. On theother hand, perlite adds drainage to thesoil to reduce how much water is in thesoil.

Remember that both of theseamendments can hold water, but they doso differently. Many gardeners preferperlite because those little white ballshelp the soil to drain faster and better thanvermiculite.

Gardeners often added vermiculite toseed starting mixtures because it protectsseedlings from fungus, which kills newseedlings. It helps to retain water in thosetiny little pods that gardeners use to startseeds. On the other hand, while perlitecan be used to help start seedlings, it’sbetter used when you move those

seedlings into larger pots in order to helpwith additional drainage.

pH: Perlite has an alkaline pH levelbetween 7.0 and 7.5. If you use perlite inexcess, it can cause minor nutrient issues.Vermiculite has a pH level between 6.5and 7.2, making it a more neutral additiveand therefore better for some plants.

Longevity: Unlike vermiculite, perliteis considered permanent because itdoesn’t deteriorate. It’s clean, odorless,non-toxic, sterile, and will never mold orrot.

Aeration: Vermiculite is a poor soilaerator because it absorbs so much morewater. Not ideal for some plants becauseit might cause root rot in plants that don’tlike wet roots. Perlite enhances aerationby releasing excess amounts of water.

Water Retention: Vermiculite retainsa lot of water, expanding up to 3-4 timesits size when saturated. Perlite improveswater retention while increasingdrainage. It also raises the humidity levelaround plants.

Perlite lets water drain too quickly,so not ideal for seeds or seedlings thatneed damp soil.

Perlite and vermiculite both improveyour soil, bur they do it in different ways,Perlite can help water drain out of yoursoil, while vermiculite retains water.Pick the medium to use based on theneeds of the plants you are growing.

{This article was eatracted fron Wikipedia and anarticle by Bethany Hayes}


Spring is a busy time in the Camelliagarden. It is time to prune, spray, and

fertilize smaller plants that need it. It'salso the time to do air layers, and do ageneral cleanup of the plants, such asremoving all old blooms and buds, weaklimbs, etc.

Most growers use a thick mulch ofleaves, bark, or pine straw each yeararound established plants. Selectivepruning of weak or infested limbs shouldbe practiced by all growers. Somemembers have found that a pruningprogram on established plants can beused instead of fertilizer. Removal ofabout 10-20% of the branches will stim-ulate the plant into re-establishing thebalance between roots and branches,putting out vigorous new growth toreplace the pruned branches. Pruning canalso be used to control the size and heightof the plant so that they will remain adesirable size and shape. You will berewarded with a healthy, vigorous plantwith superior blooms.

Those plants not yet large enough toprune back extensively will benefit froma simple fertilizer program of an applica-tion now and another light feeding insummer. You can use a commercialCamellia fertilizer (or: "Nursery Special"or "Growers Supreme" or "OsmocotePlus" with time release nitrogen andcontaining trace elements.) Use asdirected on package. You want a fertil-izer with slow release nitrogen and traceelements. The nitrogen is released overtime and reduces the chance of overfertilizing or "burning". The trace ele-

ments are essential to good growth andvigor.

Those who grow camellias in con-tainers have their own program of fertil-ization involving feeding every month toreplace nutrients lost with each watering.Time release fertilizers with trace ele-ments such as those cited above will helpreduce the work and frequency involved.March and April are good times to sprayto control scale and other pests.

Malathion usually controls red spidermites and aphids, which often appear onplants at this time. Neem Oil can be usedto control scale, mites and other pests atthe same time. Dormant Oil or "UltrafineOil" still work fine for scale and arenon-toxic. Systemic insecticides areavailable and effective. Hi-Yield Sys-temic Insect Spray and Fertilome Tree &Shrub Systemic Insect Drench are twoproducts used by local growers.

Dieback can be a problem all yearlong in our area, but the greatest expo-sure to the infection seems to be in thespring when the old leaves fall off orlimbs are pruned or otherwise damaged.Prune away all infected limbs downbelow the canker or wound on the limbor trunk and treat with a fungicide likecaptan or benomyl. Pruning paint isoptional. Dry benomyl added to water-soluble pruning paint seems to work wellwhen painted on the treated area. Steril-ize your pruning tools often using fungi-cide or chlorine bleach solution to keepthem clean while you do the pruning.

In the Spring GardenBy Art Landry, Baton rouge, LA


#1 #2 ___________________________ _________________________

#3 __________________________

#4 _________________________

C a m e l l i a Q u i zName these camellias that were named for states. Answers on page 28.

#5 __________________________

#6 _________________________


1. ‘Alabama Beauty’ Tom Dodd, AL 2. ‘Carolina Beauty’ 1959, Holmes, NC 3. ‘California’ 1888, Japan to US, Cate, CA4. ‘Mississippi Beauty’ 1956, Chiles, MS 5. ‘Alaska’ 1949, Carleton, CA 6. ‘Georgia National Fair’ 1995, Gerbing, GA

Camellia Quiz Answers

Editor’s NotesBy Kenn Campbell, Baton Rouge, LA

[email protected]

The hard freeze in early Novemberseems to have effected very many

of the camellias in our Region. Thefreeze in the low 20s came without anycool down period and the plants werenot yet dormant. Here in Baton Rougeit went from 70F to 24F in one day.The flower buds on very many plantsfroze, turned brown and fell off. Onsome plants where the buds were notkilled, they opened late with freezedamage. Thankfully, a few plants hadnormal blooms late in the season. Itwas not a very good blooming season. It reminded me of what happenedhere in the early 1960s. There werehard freezes in back to back years thatcompletely wiped out the camelliashows. The members of the old BatonRouge Camellia Society were sodiscouraged that they disbanded theclub and sent the funds remaining inthe treasury to the ACS. It was 10years before a new Society wasformed. A number of clubs around thearea suffered the same fate and neverrecovered. Let us remember that these freezeswill occasionally happen and find otheractivities other than shows to keep upinterest and not let our societiesdisband.

One solution to the problem would beto plant early blooming and cold hardyvarieties. Here are some that bloomedwell for me after the freeze.

C. jap. ‘Magnolesflora’

C. jap. ;Marie Bracey’

C. jap. ‘Black Macic’


American Camellia Societywww.americancamellias.org

Atlantic Coast Camellia Societywww.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.org

Baton Rouge Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/brcamellias

Birmingham Camellia Societywww.birminghamcamellias.com

Brookhaven Camellia Societywww.homerrichardson.com/camellia

Camellia Society of North Floridawww.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.com/Camellia _ Society _North _ Fla.html

Coushatta Camellia Society, Conroe, TXwww.coushattacamelliasociety.org

Fort Walton Beach Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/FWBCamelliaSociety

Gainesville (Florida) Camellia Societywww.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.org/Gainesville%20CS.html

Gulf Coast Camellia Societywww.gulfcoastcamelliasociety.com

www.facebook.com/gulfcoastcamelliasociety

Mississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/Mississippi_Gulf_Coast_Camellia_Society

Mobile Camellia Societywww.mobilecamellia.org

Northshore Camellia Societywww.northshorecamelliasociety.org

Pensacola Camellia Clubwww.pensacolacamelliaclub.com

Valdosta Camellia Societywww.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.org/assets/pdf/Valdosta

(Aw heck - just google it)

Camellia Websites


C. japonica ‘Crazy Sue’ 1995 by W. Smith,Gainsville, FL

C. japonica ‘Candlelight’ 1991 by Dr. GilbertFisher, Union Springs, AL

Gulf Coast Camellia Society

Invitation to Join

The Gulf Coast Camellia Society was organized in1962 for the purpose of extending appreciation andenjoyment of camellias. The Society strives toprovide information to its members about all aspectsof the care and culture of camellia plants as well asthe exhibiting and showing of camellia blooms. TheSociety also serves as a forum for members to shareand exchange information and experiences withother members.

Annual dues for membership in the Gulf CoastCamellia Society are $10.00 for individuals and$12.00 for couples. Membership runs from Octoberthrough September each year. Life Membership isavailable at $200 for individual and $240 forcouples. Included with membership are fourissues of The Gulf Coast Camellian which containsarticles on all aspects of camellia culture as well asserving as an exchange of news and informationbetween and for members. The Camellian alsocontains reports of the Society’s operations, minutesof meetings, financial reports, show news, and othersubjects of interest to our members.To join, send your name, address, phone number, ande-mail address, along with your payment to Gulf CoastCamellia Society, in care of Ann Ruth, 726 HighPlains Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Telephone:_________________________________

E-mail: ____________________________________

C. japonica ‘Bobbye Dennis’ 1986 by Vi Stone,Baton Rouge, LA

C. japonica ‘Ben Parker’ 1990 by B. Parker,Foxworth, MS


The Gulf Coast Camellia Society is a non-profit corporation chartered 12/14/1962in the State of Louisiana (charter no. 03207330n).

The Gulf Coast Camellian is published quarterlyby the Gulf Coast Camellia Society, Inc.

Kenneth B. Campbell, Editor3310 Fairway Drive

Baton Rouge, LA 70809(225) 923-1697 [email protected]

Printed by Vivid Ink Graphics. Baton Rouge, LA

The Gulf Coast Camellia SocietyOfficers and Board Members 2018 - 2019

Dennis Hart1403 Adams St.New Orleans, LA 70118(504) 866-2490 [email protected]

Joe Holmes11931 Indigo Dr.St. Francisville, LA 70775(225) 721-2084 [email protected]

Ann Ruth726 High Plains Ave.Baton Rouge, LA 70810(225) 767-1388 [email protected]

Jim Campbell16068 Riverside Dr.Covington. LA 70435-7923(985-603-9899 [email protected]

Victoria Baugh, Spanish Fort, ALDick Hooton, Pensacola, FLMark Crawford, Valdosta, GAEdward Martin, Belle Chase, LAJim Smelley, Moss Point, MSLisa Miller, Gulfport, MSHal Vanis, Henderson, TX

Caroline Dickson, Poplarville, MSMike Ruth, Baton Rouge, LAJames Dwyer, Mobile, AL [email protected]

President

First Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

State Vice-PresidentsAlabama

Florida Georgia

Louisiana Mississippi

Texas

Immediate Past PresidentChairman Finance Committee

Webmaster

Camellian Vol 46 no 2 Spring 2020 PAGE... · Camellian Vol. 46 No. 2 Spring 2020 3 President’s Message Dennis Hart New Orleans, Louisiana and Laura Holmes, Ken and Kay Clark, Art

Documents