San Marino in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Camellia Japonica ‘California’
Huntington Library
Photographed By Craig Baker, October 4, 2018
1. Camellia Japonica ‘California’ Marker
Inscription.
Camellia Japonica ‘California’. Huntington Library. 'California' is believed to be the oldest camellia plant on record in Southern California. It arrived in 1888 as an unnamed seedling and was purchased for 25 cents off a Japanese tramp steamer in Redondo Beach harbor. For nearly 70 years the plant, which bears large rose-red blooms, graced a residential property in Pico Rivera. In 1959 it was purchased by noted camellia collector Ralph S. Peer Sr., who had the specimen relocated to his home in Hollywood Hills. It was given to The Huntington in 2003. , Donated from Park Hill, the garden of Ralph and Monique Peer.
'California' is believed to be the oldest camellia plant on record in Southern California. It arrived in 1888 as an unnamed seedling and was purchased for 25 cents off a Japanese tramp steamer in Redondo Beach harbor. For nearly 70 years the plant, which bears large rose-red blooms, graced a residential property in Pico Rivera. In 1959 it was purchased by noted camellia collector Ralph S. Peer Sr., who had the specimen relocated to his home in Hollywood Hills. It was given to The Huntington in 2003.
Donated from Park Hill, the garden of Ralph and Monique Peer.
Erected by The Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens.
Location. 34° 7.7′ N, 118° 6.776′ W. Marker is in San Marino, California, in Los Angeles County. Marker can be reached from Allen Avenue south of Orlando Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino CA 91108, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. Located at The Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens, in the North Vista & Camellia garden, east of the fountain. Open 10-5, closed Tuesdays and major holidays. See their website for admission, map, collections, etc.
The original plastic marker was removed when the bronze plaques were added.
Also see . . . The Huntington.(Submitted on October 9, 2018.)
Additional keywords. Huntington
Photographed By Craig Baker, October 4, 2018
2. Camellia Japonica ‘California’ and Marker
Photographed By Craig Baker, February 7, 2019
3. Camellia Japonica ‘California’ In Bloom
Photographed By Craig Baker, February 7, 2019
4. Camellia Japonica ‘California’
Photographed By Craig Baker, February 7, 2019
5. Camellia Japonica
This bloom is on a smaller plant located nearby.
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 2, 2021
6. Plaque added in 2021
Camellia Japonica 'California'. This is the oldest camellia in Southern California, arriving from Japan in 1888. Acquired by Monique & Ralph Peer in 1959, it was relocated here from Park Hill, their Hollywood Hills home in 2003.
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 2, 2021
7. Camellia Japonica ‘California’ and Marker
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 2, 2021
8. Tribute Marker
In appreciation of Ralph S. Peer, 1892 - 1960, whose passion and expertise were instrumental to the introduction of Camellia Reticulata from China to gardens of the United States.
Photographed By Craig Baker, October 4, 2018
9. North Vista & Camellia Garden
The 17th-century Italian fountain was moved here in 1916. The marker is to the right of the fountain, behind the trees, across a small access road.
Photographed By Craig Baker, October 4, 2018
10. The Huntington Library
Designed in 1920 by Southern California architect Myron Hunt. The library contains a substantial collection of rare books and manuscripts, concentrated in the fields of British and American history and art.
Photographed By Craig Baker (CC0), October 4, 2018
11. Desert Garden
One of the world's largest and oldest collections of cacti, with more than 5,000 species.
Designed by John Russell Pope, who later used a similar design for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 394 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 9, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3, 4. submitted on February 9, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 3, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 9, 10, 11, 12. submitted on October 9, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.