About Us
The Gainesville Camellia Society (GCS) is a long-standing horticultural organization dedicated to the appreciation, cultivation, and exhibition of camellias in North Central Florida. Rooted in Gainesville’s rich gardening and academic traditions, the Society has served as a gathering place for camellia enthusiasts for decades.
Camellias have deep ties to Gainesville through the University of Florida and the creation of Wilmot Botanical Gardens in the mid-20th century, honoring noted horticulturist and camellia authority Royal James "Roy" Wilmot. This legacy helped establish Gainesville as a natural home for camellia education and community involvement.
The Society’s annual camellia show, a signature event, dates back to the late 1970s and has been held continuously for nearly half a century. Over the years, the show has been hosted at several prominent Gainesville venues, including The Oaks Mall, before finding its long-term home at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, where it continues to be held today. The event showcases hundreds of blooms, celebrates excellence in camellia cultivation, and welcomes both seasoned growers and first-time visitors.
In addition to the annual show and sale, the Gainesville Camellia Society hosts regular meetings, educational programs, and social gatherings that promote camellia culture, foster fellowship among members, and support civic beautification through gardening. GCS is affiliated with the American Camellia Society and actively participates in regional and national camellia activities, including hosting major society events.
Today, the Gainesville Camellia Society remains committed to preserving camellia traditions while encouraging new generations of gardeners to discover and enjoy these remarkable winter-blooming plants.
A short story about us
It is difficult to find the exact date that the Gainesville Camellia Society (GCS) was established, but the group was organized and able to put in the Wilmot Gardens in the early 1950s. The Headquarters of the American Camellia Society (ACS) was in Gainesville for several years and at least two buildings on the University of Florida Campus bear the name of the first ACS president, Harold Hume. Sam Harn’s name first appeared in the 1948 ACS membership listing for Gainesville. Sam became ACS Secretary, ACS president, and his family was instrumental in founding the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, located on the University of Florida campus just a few hundred yards east of the ACS Convention Headquarters Hilton Hotel. GCS has the good fortune to have a long-time connection to the early camellia years. The name of Jay Ellis Sr., living in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time, first appeared in the 1953 ACS membership list. You can meet and visit with Jay’s son, Jay Ellis Jr. and his lovely wife, Debbie, at the Convention. Sometime in the late 50’s or early 60’s the GCS became inactive. However, the GCS became re-established again in 1976-77 when the group held an outstanding show as reported by State Director Jay Ellis Sr.
When I arrived in 1986, the GCS was in operation and was holding annual shows. I joined the Panama City, Florida, Camellia Society in 1981, and had the unfortunate task of disbanding the group after the membership voted to do so in December 1985. I joined the GCS in the fall of 1986 and was summarily elected to be president, show chairman and head judge! I knew nothing about these jobs but I was assured by the seasoned veterans that they would provide plenty of help (which they did). We all got to work to achieve two primary objectives: increased membership and increased funds on hand. Our subsequent shows were at the Oaks Mall in Gainesville. We gained permission from the mall to sell camellias to help fund our shows. We also decided to give a free camellia plant to people who sign up as a GCS member for the upcoming year. Both of these actions solved our major problems, and we still use them today. Our membership usually hovers between 75 and 100, with about 30 people active at the monthly meetings. To help with our plant sales at the show, several of our members donate plants air layered from their camellia collections. We plan to have between 200 and 300 donated air layered plants for sale at the show in 2025. At our 2024 show we sold nearly 600 plants.
GCS meetings and shows have been held at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens since about 2008. Our members are a very enthusiastic group who thoroughly enjoy and support the GCS.
Our Beginning by Jerry Hogsette
Our Home
Nestled in Gainesville, Florida, our gatherings bloom with passion for camellias and community spirit.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
4700 SW 58th Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608
(352) 372-4981
https://kanapaha.org/
Reach out for questions or membership info
Phone
(321) 615-2229
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