Camellia sasanqua sasanqua camellia

Camellia sasanqua flower. L.A. Cicero, ca. 2005

Shrub, or small tree, 1.5 to 12 ft tall, depending on cultivar. Blooms in fall and early winter, 1.5 to 4 inch single or double flowers, white to pink to red. Glossy, rich-green leaves are typically 1 inch wide and long (or at least normally smaller than those of C. japonica). Locations include Firehouse, Humanities Center, Ventura Hall: ‘Showa No Sake’, GSB west side at steps (blooming in November), new Mech. Engineering Bldg., outer southeast Quad circle, near its center.

Name derivation: Camellia – After George Joseph Kamel (1661–1706), pharmacist who studies Philippines flora; sasanqua – the Japanese name.

Related material: Stanford Grounds Plant Information Sheet. List No. 11, page 5 | Rare, storied camellias to replace lawns near Memorial Church. Stanford Report March 2, 2005.