Blooming

This camellia has just budded. The picture below, is a flower head beside it.
In China, the camellia represents the union between two lovers. The delicately layered petals represent the woman, and the calyx (the green leafy part of the stem that holds the petals together) represents the man who protects her. The two components are joined together, even in death.
With camellias the calyx and petals fall away together, which is why the camellia also represents eternal love or long-lasting devotion.
In Latin, camellia means “helper to the priest” and was named after the Jesuit botanist, Georg Joseph Kamel who practiced pharmaceutical botany in the late 17th century. He is known for his work in the Philippines, where he lived for more than 20 years dedicating his life to discovering new treatments from native plant sources.
These facts aside.. I just love its vibrancy!