What does camellia mean?
A camellia is an evergreen flowering shrub belonging to the genus Camellia, native to eastern and southern Asia and prized by gardeners for its luxuriant glossy leaves and its strikingly full, rose-like blooms in white, pink, and red. Because many varieties flower in late autumn, winter, and early spring—seasons when little else is in bloom—the camellia has earned affectionate nicknames such as the "winter rose" and holds special significance in the southern United States, where it is Alabama's state flower. Beyond the garden, the genus has enormous economic importance: Camellia sinensis is the tea plant, meaning every black, green, white, and oolong tea derives from a camellia. The flower itself is also worn as an adornment and serves as a symbol of admiration and refinement, famously adopted by the fashion house Chanel as one of its signature motifs.
nounAn evergreen flowering shrub of the genus Camellia, native to eastern and southern Asia, bearing glossy leaves and showy rose-like flowers in white, pink, or red. The genus also includes the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), source of all true teas.
- An evergreen Asiatic shrub of the genus Camellia, grown ornamentally for its glossy foliage and large, rose-like white, pink, or red flowers.
- The flower of this shrub, especially as worn decoratively or used symbolically.
"The camellias along the front path bloom all through the mild southern winter."
"A perfect white camellia was pinned to her lapel for the ceremony."
"In the language of flowers, the camellia signifies admiration and deep devotion."
Standard regular plural, used both for multiple plants and for multiple flowers.
"The greenhouse overwinters dozens of tender camellias that bloom outdoors come spring."
Every cup of tea you've ever drunk came from a single species of camellia.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of camellia
The name camellia was coined in the eighteenth century by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in honor of Georg Joseph Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit missionary and botanist who described the flora of the Philippines in the seventeenth century. Linnaeus Latinized Kamel's surname as "Camellus" and derived the generic name from it, so the word is ultimately an eponym rather than a classical root. English adopted the term directly from the scientific Latin when the shrubs themselves were introduced to European horticulture.
How camellia is actually used
A cultivated, somewhat literary register word, most at home in gardening, botanical, and fashion writing. In American usage it carries strong associations with the antebellum South (the camellia is Alabama's state flower) and with Chanel, which adopted the white camellia as its emblem. Plural is simply "camellias."
Easily confused with camellia
Camelina is an unrelated genus of yellow-flowered oilseed plants (false flax), whereas the camellia is an Asian evergreen shrub with showy flowers.