Camellia japonica Lavinia Maggi

Camellia 'Lavinia Maggi', sometimes marketed as 'Contessa Lavinia Maggi', is a very beautiful variety of Japanese camellia dating back to the 19th century. It always seduces with its magnificent semi-double flowers with overlapping petals, forming luminous rosettes. Finely streaked with pink and cherry pink on a pink-tinged white background, the flowers bloom quite late for a Japanese camellia, on a beautiful, rather rounded and dense bush that retains its large dark green leaves even in winter. Its moderate development allows it to fit into gardens of all sizes and to be placed in a prominent position in a large pot on the terrace or balcony for many years. It is a graceful and elegant plant that deserves to be installed near the house.

Camellia 'Lavinia Maggi', introduced in Italy before 1858 and rewarded by the Royal Horticultural Society, belongs to the family of Theaceae. It is a bushy, slightly rounded and upright shrub, which will reach about 1.2 m (4 ft) in height with a spread of 1 m (3 ft) at 10 years old. At maturity, after 15 to 20 years, it can measure on average 1.75 m (5-6 ft) in height by 1.50 meters (5 ft) in width, depending on the growing conditions. From February-March to April, it produces very large rounded flower buds. These open into 12 cm (4-5 in) diameter flowers, perfectly formed, composed of numerous wide and rounded petals surrounding a heart shaped like a rose bud. Each one is different, but they are all finely streaked with pink on a very slightly pinkish white background. The evergreen foliage is composed of large elliptical leaves, 10 cm (4 in) in length by 5 cm (2 in) in width, leathery, finely toothed at the edges, dark green and glossy on the upper side. While this shrub is hardy down to -15°C in the ground, its flower buds can be destroyed by snow, icy wind, and temperatures below -5°C (23 °F).

The Japanese Camellia 'Lavinia Maggi' prefers rather mild and humid climates and thrives in coastal regions, in acid, humus-rich and well-drained soil. It will tolerate non-scorching sun in favourable climates but it is in partial shade or even shade, protected from intense sunlight and sheltered from strong winds, that it will give its best. Plant out in e.g. a shrub border, alongside other acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cornus Kousa, or even Kalmia Latifolia. But it would be a shame to drown this exceptional variety, with its unique charm, in a mass of foliage or flowers. It deserves a special place near the entrance of the house, or in a beautiful pot on the terrace, to be stored away in winter in very cold climates.