The Camelia

The Pillnitz Camelia (Camellia japonica L.)

Camellias, which are part of the tea plant family, originate from South east and East Asia. Tea plants are evergreen small trees and bushes, of which there are 82 known varieties. The first specimens of the attractive Camellia japonica were first brought to Europe in the 17th century by traders. Despite their fame, the origin and the exact age of the Pillnitz Camellias are as yet unknown.

Legend has it that in 1779 the Swedish botanist Karl Peter Thunberg (1743 – 1828) brought four camellias back from his journey to Japan to the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew, London. One specimen stayed in Kew, whilst the other three plants were to be given to the gardens of manor houses in Hannover, Schönbrunn near Vienna and Pillnitz near Dresden. Of these, the only surviving specimen was the Pillnitz plant, which must have arrived at the Dresden court between 1780 and 1790. In 1801 Terscheck, the court's gardener, planted the camellia in its current location. From the start, the camellia was protected in winter by a wooden house. There are a great many stories in the records about the complicated assembling and dismantling of this house; in January 1905 it even burnt. The water used to extinguish the fire, which at temperatures of minus 20° had frozen to an iceberg, protected the planted, which still blossomed the following spring.

In 1992 the Pillnitz camellia was given its new, moveable protective house, in which the temperature, ventilation, humidity and shade are controlled by a climate computer. The house is 13.2m high, weighs 54 tons and has 1864 m3 of air space. The house is rolled to the side of the camellia during the warmer seasons. The 230 year old camellia is now 8.9m high and has a diameter of almost 11m. During flowering season from mid February to April it bears ten thousand crimson red flowers. A limited number of cuttings from the Pillnitz camellia are sold every year during flowering season: at this time a visit is especially worthwhile.

Opening hours:

From mid February to Mid April (see events for exact dates) the Camellia House is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00.
The house is closed in the event of heavy storms or extreme cold.
Entrance price adults: 1.00 EUR, concessions: 0.50 EUR