Camellia (tsubaki)

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Camellia (tsubaki)

***** Location: Japan, worldwide
***** Season: Spring, others see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Camellia : tsubaki つばき　椿
Camellia japonica


Hiroshige : Sparrows and camellias in snow


white camellia : shirotsubaki 白椿 （しろつばき）
red camellia : benitsubaki 紅椿（べにつばき）

camellia with simple petals : hitoe tsubaki 一重椿（ひとえつばき）
camellia with multiple petals : yaetsubaki 八重椿

camellia in the bushes : yabu-tsubaki 藪椿
..... otome tsubaki 乙女椿（おとめつばき）
large camellia: ootsubaki 大椿

camellia in the mountains : yama tsubaki 山椿（やまつばき）
camellia in snow : yuki tsubaki 雪椿（ゆきつばき）

bud of camellia like a ball: tamatsubaki 玉椿
..... tsuratsura tsubaki つらつら椿（つらつらつばき）

fallen blossom of camellia: ochitsubaki 落椿 （おちつばき）
scattering blossom of camellia : chiri tsubaki 散椿（ちりつばき）

camellia in the evening : yuutsubaki 夕椿

. Tsubaki mochi, tsubakimochi 椿餅 (つばきもち)
camellia rice cakes .
..... tsubaimochi, tsubai mochi つばいもち【椿餅】
..... tsubai mochii つばいもちい

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


. tsubaki no hana 椿の花 camellia blossom art motives .

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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 garden
the camellia tree blossoms
all in white . . .
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

The cut marker KANA is at the end of line 3.


. Ueshima Onitsura 上島鬼貫 .


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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 Kobayashi Issa
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/search.html


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日の目見ぬ冬の椿の咲にけり
hi no me minu fuyu no tsubaki no saki ni keri

without seeing sunlight
the winter camellia
blooms
Tr. David Lanoue



hi no me o miru 日の目を見る fig. "see the light of day"
to be realized and recognized, to be in the spotlight


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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


tsubaki patterns


***** . tsubaki sasu 椿挿す (つばきさす) to graft camellias
..... sashitsubaki 挿椿（さしつばき） grafted camellia
kigo for mid-summer

Planting camellias from a cut branch is best done during the rainy season.


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kigo for late summer

shara no hana 沙羅の花 flowers of the Shara tree

sarasooju 沙羅双樹 Shara tree、sal tree, saul tree
from the フタバガキ family of plants.

it is also called "white tsubaki" 白椿



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***** 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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***** Winter Camellia, sasanka 山茶花

small camellia, kotsubaki 小椿
Princess Camellia, hime-tsubaki　姫椿
kigo for early winter


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kigo for all winter

kantsubaki, kan tsubaki 寒椿 (かんつばき)
camellia in the cold
fuyu tsubaki 冬椿（ふゆつばき）"winter camellia"
hayazaki no tsubaki 早咲の椿（はやざきのつばき）
early blossoming camellia

wabisuke 侘助 (わびすけ) Wabisuke camellia
Camellia wabisuke



.................................. 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 -
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