组织概况
组织背景
国际茶花协会（International Camellia Society，简称ICS）是一个致力于山茶属植物推广的非营利性国际组织，1962年4月正式成立，在全球拥有近2000名会员。协会注册为慈善机构，总部设在英国，法定代表人为意大利籍Gianmario Motta教授。协会以促进茶花的知识传播、种植推广和品种研发为使命，通过多种举措推动这一观赏植物在全球的普及与发展。山茶属植物共有超过260个物种，其中包括茶树（Camellia sinensis）。目前全球已培育出超过30000个茶花观赏品种，主要来源于日本山茶（C. japonica），还有山茶（C. sasanqua）、云南山茶（C. reticulata）等物种。花色从白色到红色、从浅黄色到深黄色变化丰富。
组织架构
协会按地理区域划分为若干分会，每个分会对应一个国家，由当地会员组成并支持一名区域代表和区域主任。分会再分为亚洲、欧洲、美洲、大洋洲和非洲（仅南非）五个地理群组，每个群组（除非洲外）设一名副总裁。协会中央管理层包括：主席、前任主席、财务主管、秘书、期刊编辑、Otomo-Haydon研究基金主席、会员登记员、茶花词典登记员和网站管理员。2024-2026届主要领导包括：主席Gianmario Motta（意大利）、秘书Anke Koschitz（德国）、财务主管Alice Crawford（美国）、副总裁（亚洲）王忠浪（中国昆明植物研究所）、副总裁（欧洲）Anke Koschitz（德国）、副总裁（大洋洲）Stephen Utick（澳大利亚）、副总裁（美洲）Forrest Latta（美国）。
国际茶花大会
协会每两年在亚洲、欧洲、大洋洲或美国轮流举办国际茶花大会（International Camellia Congress），汇聚全球会员讨论山茶属植物的收集栽培、物种研究、新品种保护和可持续发展等议题。大会期间同时召开董事会会议，任命协会管理人员。近年来大会包括：2025年日本东京大会、2023年意大利大会、2018年法国南特大会、2016年中国大理大会。2027年大会将于美国佐治亚州梅肯市举办。大会通常包含学术报告、花园参观和会员交流等环节，会后还组织专题游览路线。
卓越花园认证
ICS卓越花园（Gardens of Excellence）是在全球范围内评选的茶花种植展示基地，作为协会的大使向世界推广茶花文化。卓越花园必须拥有200种以上成年茶花品种，并按国际茶花名录标准标注每株植物。花园分为公共植物园、历史私家园圃和商业苗圃等类型，分别承担品种保护、景观展示和商业推广等功能。全球现有数十个卓越花园，分布在比利时、英国、法国、德国、意大利、西班牙、葡萄牙、日本、澳大利亚、新西兰、美国、中国、南非等地。欧洲著名的卓越花园包括：比利时Arboretum Provinciaal Domein Het Leen、德国科隆植物园和曼海姆路易森公园、德累斯顿皮尔尼茨宫（拥有约250年历史的”皮尔尼茨茶花”）、意大利卢卡的Camellietum di Compito（年访客近万人）、英国康沃尔郡Caerhays城堡花园等。
学术期刊与研究基金
协会每年出版一期《国际茶花期刊》（International Camellia Journal），供会员免费查阅。期刊内容涵盖新物种介绍、新品种发布、种植技术论文以及协会动态等。协会还通过Otomo-Haydon研究基金（Otomo-Haydon Research Fund）为茶花相关研究项目提供资金支持，资助方向包括野生种保护、杂交育种、DNA鉴定等领域的科学研究。期刊编辑由比利时Frieda Delvaux担任。协会维护的《国际茶花名录》（International Camellia Register）收录超过24000个茶花栽培品种及其同义词25000余条，是山茶属植物命名和分类的权威参考工具，名录网页版向全球开放。
历史名树保护
协会下设历史茶花保护委员会（Committee for Historic Camellia Conservation），致力于发现和保护具有历史价值的古树名株。委员会于2024年设立”历史观赏茶花树全球奖”（Global Awards for Historic Ornamental Camellia Trees），表彰树龄较长、品种稀有或具有特殊历史意义的茶花树。获奖者包括英国Caerhays城堡花园的古老茶花树、德国皮尔尼茨宫的”皮尔尼茨茶花”（约250岁，2024年获奖）等。委员会还推动”阿波留宣言”（Apoliu Declaration）等保护倡议，呼吁全球关注濒危野生茶花物种的保护工作。协会特别会员兼委员会主席为澳大利亚Stephen Utick。
官方网站：https://internationalcamellia.org
Organization Profile
Organizational Background
The International Camellia Society (ICS) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to the promotion of the genus Camellia, officially founded in April 1962, with nearly 2,000 members worldwide. Registered as a charity and headquartered in the United Kingdom, the society is led by President Professor Gianmario Motta of Italy. The society promotes knowledge, cultivation, and development of camellias through various initiatives. The Camellia genus includes over 260 species, among them the Tea tree (Camellia sinensis). Over 30,000 ornamental camellia varieties have been developed globally, primarily from Camellia japonica, along with C. sasanqua, C. reticulata, and other species. Flower colors range from white to red and from pale to dark yellow.
Organizational Structure
The society is geographically organized into Regions, each corresponding to a country. Regions gather local ICS members and are supported by an ICS Representative and a Region Director, elected by regional members. Larger regions may have two or more Directors. Regions are grouped into geographical groups: Asia, Europe, America, Oceania, and Africa (South Africa only). Each group (except Africa) is supported by a Vice President appointed by the Directors. Central ICS roles include President, Past President, Treasurer, Secretary, Journal Editor, Otomo-Haydon Research Fund Chairman, Membership Registrar, Camellia Dictionary Registrar, and Web Manager. Key leadership 2024-2026: President Gianmario Motta (Italy), Secretary Anke Koschitz (Germany), Treasurer Alice Crawford (USA), Vice-President Asia Wang Zhonglang (Kunming Institute of Botany, China), Vice-President Europe Anke Koschitz (Germany), Vice-President Oceania Stephen Utick (Australia), Vice-President Americas Forrest Latta (USA).
International Camellia Congress
Every two years, ICS holds the International Camellia Congress, rotating between Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the USA. These congresses gather members worldwide to discuss collection and cultivation, species research, new variety development, and conservation. The Directors’ Meeting held during congress decides appointments for society officers. Recent congresses include: 2025 Tokyo Japan, 2023 Italy, 2018 Nantes France, 2016 Dali China. The 2027 Congress will be held in Macon, Georgia, USA. Congress programs typically include academic presentations, garden visits, and member networking, with pre- and post-congress tours offering specialized itinerary options.
Gardens of Excellence Program
The ICS Gardens of Excellence (GoE) program recognizes outstanding camellia gardens worldwide as ambassadors of the society. To qualify, gardens must maintain 200 or more camellia species/varieties with mature, well-established plants labeled according to International Camellia Register standards. Gardens serve various functions: public botanical gardens, historic private estates, and commercial nurseries, addressing conservation, landscape display, and commerce respectively. Notable European GoEs include: Arboretum Provinciaal Domein Het Leen (Belgium), Botanic Garden of Cologne and Luisenpark Mannheim (Germany), Dresden Pillnitz Palace (home to the approximately 250-year-old “Pillnitz Camellia”), Camellietum di Compito in Lucca, Italy (nearly 10,000 visitors annually), and Caerhays Castle Garden in Cornwall, UK. Global GoEs span Belgium, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, USA, China, and South Africa.
Journal and Research Funding
ICS publishes the annual International Camellia Journal, freely accessible to members, covering new species, new varieties, cultivation techniques, and society news. The Otomo-Haydon Research Fund annually supports research projects on camellias, including wild species conservation, hybridization, and DNA identification. Journal Editor is Frieda Delvaux of Belgium. ICS maintains the International Camellia Register, documenting over 24,000 cultivated camellia varieties plus 25,000 related synonyms — the authoritative reference for camellia nomenclature, with a publicly accessible web edition.
Historic Camellia Conservation
The Committee for Historic Camellia Conservation works to discover and protect historically significant camellia trees globally. In 2024, the committee established the Global Awards for Historic Ornamental Camellia Trees, recognizing ancient, rare, or historically notable specimens. Award recipients include historic camellias at Caerhays Castle Garden (UK) and the approximately 250-year-old “Pillnitz Camellia” at Dresden Pillnitz Palace (Germany, awarded 2024). The committee also promotes initiatives such as the Apoliu Declaration, calling for global attention to endangered wild camellia species conservation. Committee President is Stephen Utick of Australia, also serving as ICS Vice-President Oceania.
Official Website: https://internationalcamellia.org
