Camellia

About the Camellia

Tea comes from Camellia sinensis - the most widely consumed beverage after water, with 3 billion cups drunk daily. Named after Jesuit botanist Georg Kamel. They can live for centuries - the oldest known camellia is in Panlong Monastery, China, estimated at 1,600+ years. The flowers fall whole rather than petal by petal, symbolizing noble death in samurai culture. Over 250 species. Camellia oil is used in cooking and cosmetics. They bloom in winter when few other flowers do. The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) is centered around C. sinensis.