When you receive this message the online component of our annual spring plant sale will be well underway. Over the past several years your support of our online offerings has continued to grow, exceeding our initial expectations by a wide margin. However, don’t forget our usual 2 days of onsite sales on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 as many additional plants including those found only in the greenhouse will be available.
During the 20 years following the initiation of the restoration of the Wilmot Gardens in 2006, now the Wilmot Botanical Gardens, there have been extensive plantings. From time to time some have been removed by rather thoughtless individuals, thus depriving our visitors the opportunity to enjoy the presence of these plants in the gardens. In approximately 2008 we began replanting 3 gallon camellias and noticed on one occasion that several were wilting within just a few days despite adequate irrigation. Close inspection of the plants revealed that the original camellia has been stolen and replaced with a single, non-rooted branch from a second more common camellia. In another instance several groupings of GG Gerbing azaleas were planted in the Mendenhall Family Camellia Walk. Not long thereafter we noted that several of the groupings had been reduced in number from 5 to 3 each. On another occasion we actually apprehended a woman carrying plants she had dug near one of the south entrances to the gardens. Her husband who was waiting for her in the Shands Medical Plaza parking lot pointed out to her that he had told her she was a “plantnapper” and would get caught.
The main entrance to the Japanese Maple Tree Garden has become a popular location recently to either mutilate or actually remove somewhat rare and or unique plants. On two separate occasions the top portion of a Toona tree (Toona Sinensis) also known as a Chinese Mahogony tree was removed leaving a single bare trunk. Because the younger leaves are edible and actually used in Asian cuisine, we can only assume that someone was hungry. More recently a rather rare and unusual Mexican Maple tree or Sugar Maple (Acer skutchii) gifted to the gardens was stolen. It is disappointing that some visitors believe it is perfectly acceptable to behave in this manner.
The weather during the past few weeks has been rather challenging to those of us who enjoy outdoor gardening. The prolonged cold spell with unusually low temperatures has raised havoc with our more sensitive, warm weather plants including Angel’s Trumpet, Tropical Hibiscus, Shell Ginger and Elephant Ears, just to name a few. In addition, those camellias that were in bloom did not fare well, thus ending a promising early to mid bloom season permanently. Fortunately, later blooming camellias that were still largely in bud and some that are more cold hardy fared much better. Many of the traditional azaleas had yet to bloom and escaped serious damage. We have been extremely busy cutting back the more severely damaged plants and many such as our staghorn ferns are already demonstrating new growth. In total we have removed in excess of six dumpster loads of dead plant materials.
As we move into the later stages of the 2026 camellia bloom season, I wish to call to your attention several camellias in our gardens that are still especially beautiful. They include Gunsmoke and Gunsmoke Variegated, La Peppermint, Sawada’s Mahogony, Eureka Variegated, Miss Charleston, Ack-Scent, Laura Walker, Pretty Lady, Walter Bellingrath, and JM Haynie. Come visit us and see how many you can find.
Hope to see you at the spring sale.
C. Craig Tisher, MD
Director, Wilmot Botanical Gardens, College of Medicine