We have started the study of the camellia collection at Quintal do Forno, the main distinguishing feature of the garden with a significant biological, landscape, and historic value in Portugal.
The garden has a remarkable collection of 70 camellia trees, started in the late 19th century by Manoel Cabral Soares de Albergaria.
In the 19th century, there was great fascination and interest in exotic plants arriving in Europe. The influx of camellias from Southeast Asia and the creation of thousands of new cultivated varieties – or cultivars – had a significant impact on the available camellias as ornamental plants.
According to the International Camellia Register, which is a repository of all the camellias registered by the International Camellia Society, over 278 are of Portuguese origin and were created during the 19th century.
The oldest purchasing document for the garden dates back to 1886 by José Marques Loureiro’s Real Estabelecimento de Horticultura. In that year, the establishment’s catalogue feature over 850 different cultivars.
The large number of cultivars available in Portugal, along with brief and incomplete descriptions and the absence of reference specimens, make accurate scientific identification rather difficult. Gardens like Quintal do Forno, which still preserve a significant part of the original plantation and as well as documentary sources of their acquisition, are becoming increasingly rare. Comparing the information within those documents with the existing specimens in the garden will allow highly reliable identification.
Camellia japonica ‘Giardino Santarelli’
Camellia japonica
European cultivars, once extinct in their countries of origin like Italy, Belgium, and England, may still exist in historic Portuguese gardens. This possibility has sparked significant interest among international experts.
Plant collections are among the most fragile forms of cultural heritage
Their conservation requires meticulous recording and identification, evaluation of aesthetic, historic, or scientific value, and propagation of those which may be unique specimens.
The historic camellia conservation programme includes three phases:
Creation of a database with detailed records of morphologic characteristics, photographic documentation, and georeferencing of camellia specimens.
Systematic identification of camellia cultivars assisted by the relevant archival documentation from Manoel Cabral‘s time.
Propagation of specimens from the historic camellia collection for their preservation.
Photos: Beatriz Santamaría
