Camellia (tsubaki)

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Camellia (tsubaki)

***** Location: Japan, worldwide
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Camellia : tsubaki つばき　椿

white camellia : shirotsubaki 白椿
camellia with multiple petals : yaetsubaki 八重椿
camellia in the bushes : yabu-tsubaki 藪椿
large camellia: ootsubaki 大椿

bud of camellia like a ball: tamatsubaki 玉椿
fallen blossom of camellia: ochitsubaki 落椿
camellia in the evening : yuutsubaki 夕椿

Even the Chinese character expresses SPRING, being composed of a tree on the left side and the character for spring on the right. This flower, which grows almost like a weed everywhere, has already been sung about in the Manyoo-Shuu 万葉集 poetry collection.
The fallen halfopen flowers (ochitsubaki) are quite a sight under a large tree. On the way to our local temple they look like a red carpet layed out for the gods to tread.

Another name is "Sazanka" 山茶花、literally meaning the flower of the mountain tea plant. ''Camellia Sasanqua'' in Latin.
This is a kigo for winter, see below.
Gabi Greve




The Camellia japonicas bloom in early spring. The sasanquas bloom in fall and grow in the mountain area of the west side region in Japan. This species is made up of a large number of varieties (running into the hundreds) and colors. The japonicas do not smell, but some sasanqua smells. In general, it is said that the japonica's blooms drop, but the sasanqua's blooms shatter.

A great link with many pictures of Japanese camellia, in English.
http://www.ykanda.jp/camellia.html

Long list with Camellia Pictures:
http://www.ykanda.jp/beauty/kanda/kanda1.htm

http://www.ykanda.jp/clist.htm

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Izu Oshima, an island of Japan, is famous for its cultivation of camellia and has an annual
Camellia Festival, Tsubaki Matsuri from January to March
Famous products made of tsubaki are oil preparations for your skin or for cooking.
http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/topics/040129/3.html
http://www.chiizu.com/jp/Album/Cover.asp?A=35603

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Camellias are evergreen shrubs, bloom in autumn and winter, and very popular because of their great beauty because of their flowers, form and also foliage. They grow in a habit form, have glossy leaves and exquisitve form. Most Camellias at first were imported from Europe but now are grown in gardens from southeastern Virginia thru the Carolinas to Florida an along the Gulf Coast and even along the Pacific coast.
They can also be grown in the house or outside.
http://www.shgresources.com/al/symbols/flower/

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Worldwide use

Germany
The famous Pillnitz-Kamelie
D er Camelienbaum kam im Jahre 1739 von Japan nach Pillnitz. Stammumfang 150 cm. Höhe 7 m. Sein Unterhalt kostet jährlich ca. 800 M.
This famous tree is said to have been a gift from Japan. When I saw it a few years ago, it was inside a huge hothouse (for an enormous amount of money) and is treated like royalty itself.
Gabi Greve





See more of this fascinating tree here:





http://www.kamelien.de/reise.htm


a German site for Camellias (has an English Version)
http://www.camellia.de/

an Italian website on the 'Higo' Camellia
http://www.higocamellia.it/

legends and stories
http://www.shiseido.co.jp/e/e9803kor/html/text/kor05200.htm


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Things found on the way

Flower watching in Japan
azaleas (tsutsuji) wisterias (fuji) cherry blossoms (sakura) irises (ayame/hanashobu) hydrangeas (ajisai) plum blossoms (ume) camellia (tsubaki) freesia
http://www.merit5.co.jp/citylifenews/familyland/flower/flower.html

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Hoshino Tsubaki 星野 椿
A Haiku Life


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La Traviata, Tsubaki-Hime,　Princess　Tsubaki　椿姫
La Traviata ... Reference


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HAIKU

fading light-
the scent of
camellia

Kate

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One day a monk asked Onitsura about the essence of haiku. Here is his answer :

teizen ni shiroku saitaru tsubaki kana .. .. .. Onitsura

In the garden
Whitely blooming
The camellia
http://www.takase.com/Haiku/HaikuSource01.htm


in the front of the garden
it blossoms all in white -
the camellia tree
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

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kita hama no suna yoke tsubaki saki ni keri

North Beach's
sand-barrier camellias
in bloom

haru zo tote shibu-shibu sakushi tsubaki kana

springtime
yet it blooms reluctantly...
the camellia

Find more by ISSA
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/search.html

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winter camellia; a walk around the temple

One-line haiku by Chibi

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nightfall...
a soft glow of moonlight
on the camellias

hortensia anderson, August 2006

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Related words

***** Nuts (fruit) of camellia (tsubaki no mi　椿の実)
kigo for autumn

At Oshima Island, the local children picking up the camellia nuts. Later, oil is pressed from the nuts. The oil tsubaki abura 椿油, is used for cooking or cosmetics.

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＊＊＊＊＊ kigo for winter

Winter Camellia, sasanka 山茶花
small camellia, kotsubaki 小椿
Princess Camellia, hime-tsubaki　姫椿
Camellia in the cold, kantsubaki 寒椿


.................................. Sasanka 山茶花
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/koto/96plant/dec/1/gif/Camellia.jpg


寒椿黒き佛に手向けばや　
kantsubaki　kuroki hotoke ni　te mukeba ya

winter camellia
I wish I could offer it
to the sooty Buddha

Masaoka Shiki
http://www.cc.matsuyama-u.ac.jp/~shiki/kim/shikiwinter.html

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朝焼けや凍てし蕾の和らげり .. .. (Tr. 畑　毅)

early morning sun -
a frozen bud
thaws into life

..... ..... Morgensonne -
..... ..... eine gefrorene Knospe
..... ..... taut ins Leben

My Sasanka tree is in full bloom now, with early December morning frost doing no harm but enhancing the beauty.



Gabi Greve
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/happyhaiku/message/953

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http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

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