Camellia (Tsubaki)

The camellia (tsubaki) is a broadleaf evergreen tree that, in Japan, grows south of Aomori Prefecture. It is one of Japan’s major indigenous flowering trees. Since it is the main plant found in broadleaf evergreen forests, these areas of vegetation are often called “wild Camellia japonica class regions.” The camellia has several thousand garden varieties and is cultivated as a garden tree throughout the world. Because the Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) grows on the Pacific Ocean side of Japan and the snow camellia (Camellia rusticana) grows on the Japan Sea side, which has considerably greater snowfall, some experts think that this species distinction is based on the different amounts of snowfall in the regions they grow in. Places like Mount Tsubaki on the Natsudomari Peninsula, Aomori Prefecture, and Mount Noto in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, are considered the northernmost areas in which the Japanese camellia grows naturally. This distribution of the species along the Japan Sea side of Japan is believed to have arisen in connection with the kitamaebune (northern-bound ships), which sailed around Shimonoseki and up the Sea of Japan coast and back from the mid-Edo to early Meiji periods.

The tree’s genus name and English name “Camellia” was given by Carl Linnaeus as a tribute to Jesuit missionary Georg Joseph Kamel (1661–1706). The tea plant also belongs to the camellia family.

The character for the shrub’s Japanese name椿 (tsubaki) is unique to Japan. In Chinese, the character 椿 indicates a different plant, and the Japanese camellia is written as 山茶 (lit. “mountain tea”). Flowering season for camellias is February through April. However, there are also early and late blooming varieties. Early bloomers blossom in October, and late bloomers in May.

Camellia oil taken from the seeds has long been a local specialty in Japan. There is a record of it being offered to an embassy from Balhae (on the Bohai Sea) in the 8th century.

Camellia flower viewing became popular in the Muromachi period (1392–1507). In the Edo period (1603–1867), Hidetaka Tokugawa collected a number of camellia varieties in the Fukiage flower bed in Edo Castle, and Urakusai Oda, a teacher of tea ceremony, also enthusiastically cultivated the tree. These efforts led to the flourishing of “Edo camellia.” Over 200 varieties of the plant were recorded in the Genroku era (1688–1704).

Philipp Franz von Siebold brought four varieties of camellia back with him to Europe. The plant was also brought to Europe by the East India Company. These developments led to a camellia boom in 19th century Europe, where the camellia was called “winter’s rose” or “Japanese rose.”

As camellias live for a long time, it is considered a sacred tree of eternal youth and longevity and is often used to make sword sticks for warding off evil spirits. The camellia has long been considered an auspicious plant, and the word chinju (written 椿寿, which literally means “camellia longevity”) is sometimes used to express a long life. Camellia shrines and camellia festivals can be found all across Japan. Furthermore, decorations for the Omizutori (Shuni-e water-drawing festival) held at Nigatsu Hall of Todai Temple are made of hundreds of artificial camellia flowers. A Japanese sweet shaped like these artificial flowers is made in Nara around the same time of the year. Another type of Japanese sweet called tsubaki-mochi, which used to be called tsubai-mochi, is made by making rice cakes made with Domyoji flour, inserting sweet bean paste, and sandwiching this in between two camellia leaves. This particular sweet was first made in the early Heian period and is considered by some to be the origin of Japanese sweets.