Mobile will roll out the welcome mat for flower lovers from across the country later this month when the American Camellia Society brings its 2019 Annual Meeting and National Convention to the Port City over the weekend of Feb. 15-18.
The timing is no accident. The gathering coincides with two milestones for the state: the 60th anniversary of the camellia’s official designation as Alabama’s state flower and Alabama’s bicentennial celebration.
A public show at the convention center
The highlight for the general public comes Sunday, Feb. 17, when the ACS Camellia Show takes over the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center downtown from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Visitors can expect demonstrations and lectures on caring for camellias, along with how-tos on flower waxing and grafting — techniques Gulf Coast gardeners have long used to show off and preserve their best blooms. Organizers from the Alabama Camellia Society, including Dr. Brenda Litchfield, have been spreading the word about the event across the region.
The camellia has deep roots in Mobile, where mild winters let the evergreen shrub thrive in yards and public gardens. The legislature replaced the goldenrod with the camellia as the state flower in 1959, and Southwest Alabama garden clubs remain among the most active in the national organization.
More information about the convention and the Sunday show is available through the American Camellia Society.