Camellia Meaning

The camellia has one trait that makes it extremely valuable: it blooms from May to August, right when almost everything else is dormant. In the middle of the Argentine winter, it is one of the few plants with real flowers.

What it symbolizes

• Perfect admiration. The classic meaning.
• Undeclared love. In Victorian tradition it was the flower of what is felt but not said.
• Longevity and devotion. In Japan it represents a love that endures.

By color

• Red: passion and deep love.
• Pink: longing, "I miss you."
• White: tenderness and pure adoration.

Two cultural references

The first is The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils, which cemented its association with tragic love. The second is Coco Chanel, who chose it as the house emblem precisely because it has no scent: it did not compete with the perfumes she created. A perfect flower that chose not to smell of anything.

A telltale detail

The camellia does not wilt gradually like a rose: the entire flower drops off at once, still perfect. In Japan that gave it a somber reading (it was associated with a samurai's beheading), which is why it is traditionally not brought to someone who is ill.

As a gift

Give it as a plant, not cut: the cut flower lasts very little. A potted camellia shrub is a long-lasting gift for someone with a shady balcony or a garden — it likes partial shade and hates direct midday sun.

Availability of each flower changes with the season. If you are looking for a specific flower, ask us before ordering and we will confirm whether we have it.