Camellia lutchuensis Koto No Kaori

The Koto No Kaori hybrid Camellia is a variety of bush that combines vigour, elegance, and fragrance. This evergreen plant is adorned with single flowers of a beautiful deep pink colour, slightly scented, during a good part of the winter, at a time of year when other flowers are rare. With an upright and bushy habit, this variety can be planted alone, in a flowering hedge, or in a shrub border. Camellias thrive in cool and humid climates, in partial shade or full sun, in non-calcareous and well-drained soil.

The Koto No Kaori Camellia is a Japanese horticultural variety dating back to 1990, resulting from a cross-breeding between Camellia japonica 'Tôkai' and Camellia lutchuensis, a particularly fragrant evergreen botanical species native to southern Japan. Like all camellias, it belongs to the family Theaceae. 'Koto No Kaori' has a generally upright habit, much taller than wide, and dense vegetation. Its growth is quite slow: at the age of 10, it will reach about 1.80 m (6 ft) in height and 80 cm (32 in) in width. It blooms from January in mild climates, with peak flowering occurring in February-March. The plant produces a large quantity of small single flowers, about 4-5 cm (1.5-2 in) in diameter. The corollas are composed of 6-7 petals of a bright pink colour, arranged around a beautiful cluster of yellow stamens. Its dark green leaves, evergreen in winter, are slightly shiny on the upper side. Hardy down to -12 °C (10.4 °F) at the extreme, this variety is cultivated in partial shade or full sun, sheltered from cold winds. It prefers acidic, humus-rich, moist, and light soils.

Plant the 'Koto No Kaori' Camellia in a country-style hedge or in an ericaceous bed alongside azaleas, Skimmia, Japanese quince, and heathers. Plant it in autumn with some spring bulbs e.g. tulips and daffodils for a magnificent and colourful scene. Its compact size also allows it to be grown in a pot for many years. Place it on a semi-shaded terrace, in a large pot, alongside a wall, protected from cold and drying winds.

The name Camellia was given to the plant in 1735 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, in homage to Georg Josef Kamel (Latinized as "Camellus"), an apothecary in the service of the Jesuits in the Philippines in the late 17th century. It was not until 1792 that the Camellia arrived in Europe.