The campus of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida is home to more than 625 camellias. They are located at ten different sites, all but two of which are open to the general public. The largest single grouping can be seen in the 4.8-acre Wilmot Botanical Gardens situated on the UF medical campus at 2023 Mowry Road. More than 400 camellias, with 270 different cultivars, are located at this site. Many of the specimens comprise two specialty gardens within Wilmot Botanical Gardens, the Gordy Camellia Garden and the newly created Mendenhall Family Camellia Walk.
In the summer of 2020, Wilmot Botanical Gardens was officially added to be American Camellia Trails program sponsored by the American Camellia Society. This program, which spans the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts, promotes public gardens containing significant collections of camellias. This national recognition is enjoyed by 57 public gardens across the United States, but by only two other botanical gardens in the state of Florida.
The second largest grouping of camellias on the UF campus is located within University Gardens on Museum Drive. This site is home to 150 camellias planted between 2018 and 2021. All were obtained from the former private garden of Clarence and Lillian Gordy, recently of Ocala, Florida. Many rare and unusual cultivars can be found at the University Gardens site.
Gerson Hall, a College of Business facility, located on the northeast corner of the UF campus, is home to another 28 camellias. Again, all of these cultivars were transplanted from the Gordy camellia garden in 2019. Additional campus sites that allow unlimited access to the camellias include the west side of Fifield Hall (13 cultivars), the south side of Mehrhof Hall (10 cultivars), Facilities Services (Building 700) off Radio Road (28 cultivars), and the newest parking garage (Parking Garage 5) on Gale Lemerand Drive (5 cultivars).
Limited access is possible by appointment only for the 32 camellias that are planted at the Dasburg House, the residence of the current president of the University of Florida. All were relocated in 2019 from the Gordy garden in Ocala, Florida.
Finally, a total of ten camellias from the Gordy garden were added to the grounds at the Earl and Christy Powell University House in 2021.
The following lists by site provide the common names, species and bloom season for the camellias located at each site. Only identified camellias are included for each list; unidentified camellias have been omitted.
Camellia Sites on UF Campus
Site 1 – Wilmot Botanical Gardens, 2023 Mowry Road
Common Name | Species | garden Zone | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|---|
Kanjiro | Hiemalis | 1 | early |
Ann Blair Brown Var | Japonica | 2 | mid |
Ave Maria | Japonica | 2 | early |
Baby Sargent | Japonica | 2 | mid |
Ballet in Pink | Non-reticulata hybrid | 2 | late |
Ben George | Japonica | 2 | mid |
Betty Sheffield Supreme | Japonica | 2 | mid |
Black Gold Var | Japonica | 2 | mid |
Black Lace | reticulata hybrid | 2 | mid to late |
Black Magic | Japonica | 2 | mid to late |
Site 2 – Fifield Hall, 2550 Hull Road
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Arajishi | Japonica | early |
C. granthamiana | C. granthamiana | unknown |
Cherry Blossom (Cherry Leaf Camellia) | Japonica | mid |
Frank Houser | reticulata hybrid | early to mid |
Kitty | Japonica | late |
Kuro-tsubaki | Japonica | mid to late |
Leslie Ann | Sasanqua | early |
Miss Tulare | reticulata hybrid | early to mid |
Mrs. D. W. Davis Descanso | Japonica | mid |
Orphan | unknown | unknown |
Site 3 – Mehrhof Hall, 2046 IFAS Research Drive
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Angela Lansbury | Japonica | mid to late |
Blushing Beauty/Premier Var | Japonica/double graft | mid to late |
Camille Var | Japonica | mid |
Dick Hardison Var | Japonica | early to late |
Diddy’s Pink Organdie | Japonica | mid |
Elaine’s Betty Red Var | Japonica | mid |
Forty-niner Var | reticulata hybrid | early to mid |
Frank Houser Var | reticulata hybrid | early to mid |
Site 4 – University Gardens, 2353 Museum Road
Common Name | Species | Zone | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|---|
Cherries Jubilee Var | Japonica | 1 | mid |
Cile Mitchell | Non-reticulata hybrid – C. x Williamsii | 1 | early to mid |
Colonial Lady | Japonica | 1 | mid |
Dusty Var | Japonica | 1 | mid to late |
Elegans Supreme | Japonica | 1 | early to mid |
Kate Hardie | Japonica | 1 | early to mid |
Sawada’s Dream | Japonica | 1 | early to mid |
Silver Chalice | Japonica | 1 | mid |
Tammia | Japonica | 1 | mid to late |
Tiffany Var | Japonica | 1 | mid |
Site 5 – Facilities Services (Building 700), 3280 Radio Road
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Alda Boll Var | Japonica | mid |
Beth Dean | Reticulata hybrid | mid to late |
Black Magic | Japonica | mid to late |
Cile Mitchell | Non-reticulata hybrid – C. x Williamsii | early to mid |
Dora Lee | Reticulata hybrid | late |
Edna Bass Var | Japonica | early |
Edna Campbell/Confetti Blush | Japonica/double graft | early to late |
Ellen Daniel | Japonica | mid |
Evelina | Japonica | mid to late |
Eventide | Japonica | mid to late |
Site 6 – Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Jean’s Unsurpassable Pink | Japonica | unknown |
Site 7 – Gerson Hall, 1368 Union Road
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Betty Sheffield Supreme | Japonica | mid |
Bob’s Tinsie | Japonica | mid |
Cardinal’s Cap | Japonica | mid to late |
Carter’s Sunburst | Japonica | early to late |
Charlie Bettes | Japonica | early |
Donckelarii | Japonica | mid |
Dr. Clifford Parks Var | reticulata hybrid | mid |
Elaine’s Betty | Japonica | mid |
Elegans Champagne | Japonica | early to mid |
Eugene Lize | Japonica | mid to late |
Site 8 – Parking Garage 5, 1104 Gale Lemerand Drive
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Dr. Clifford Parks | reticulata hybrid | mid |
Holly Bright | Japonica | mid |
Lady Laura Red | Japonica | mid |
R. L. Wheeler Var | Japonica | early to mid |
William Penn | Japonica | mid |
Site 9 – Dasburg House, 450 Village Drive
Common Name | Species | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|
Amazing Graces | Japonica | mid |
Ann Blair Brown Var | Japonica | mid |
Black Gold | Japonica | mid |
Black Tie | Japonica | mid |
Campari White | Japonica | mid to late |
Carter’s Sunburst Blush | Japonica | early to late |
Diddy Mealing | Japonica | mid |
Edna Bass Var | Japonica | early |
Elaine’s Betty | Japonica | mid |
Feathery Touch | Japonica | mid |
Site 10 – The Earl and Christy Powell University House, 2151 W. University Avenue
Common Name | Species | Zone | Bloom Season |
---|---|---|---|
Cameo Pink | unknown | front yard | unknown |
Leila Gibson | Japonica | front yard | mid |
Miss Charleston | Japonica | front yard | mid to late |
Shuchuka | Japonica | front yard | late |
Sieur de Bienville | Japonica | front yard | unknown |
Fashionata | Japonica | back yard | mid |
Harold L. Paige | Reticulata hybrid | back yard | late |
Junior Prom | Japonica | back yard | early to mid |
Prince Eugene Napolean | Japonica | back yard | mid |