麻豆社

The final C. japonica variety featured on this tour is Ville de Nantes. In 1948, when Ms. Jewel was planting camellias along the trail, Ville de Nantes was ranked as the most desirable camellia variety in a poll conducted by the American Camellia Society. In the same poll, Elegans was ranked as sixth and Alba plena was twenty-first. A decade later, Ville de Nantes was still highly regarded, ranking second—and it was the only variety from the 1948 top 10 that remained on the list. Amazingly, this variety continues to enchant camellia lovers today. In 2014, one of America’s top camellia growers wrote about his quest to find the perfect Ville de Nantes.  

 So, what makes this variety so special? To start, its blooms are striking, with a red background and viral variegation that varies from flower to flower, creating a unique appearance each time. The petals pinch up slightly, creating “rabbit ears” that add dimension, and the serrated (fringed) edges give the flower just a tough of extra flare. Another reason for its appeal may be its scarcity. Ville de Nantes is a slow grower from cuttings, so grafting is often required for propagation—a skilled process that limits availability.  

 We do not know if Ms. Jewel obtained these Ville de Nantes plants from a nursery with an existing graft or if she grafted them herself, but either way, she went out of her way to ensure our campus had this remarkable variety.