竹林の中でよく育つ木に　椿（ツバキ）　茶の木があります

どちらもツバキ科　ツバキ属の常緑樹

いつも同じツバキ属の　サザンカとの見分け方で悩みますが

見分ける方法は　花の咲く時期と　葉の大きさなどで

歌の中にも
～サザンカ　サザンカ咲いた道　焚き火だ焚き火だ落ち葉焚き～（童謡・唱歌「焚き火」より）

と歌われているように　サザンカの花期は１０月～１２月

一方の椿は　春の木と書くだけあって　その花期は２月～４月とのこと
（サザンカの園芸品種には１２月～２月に花を咲かせる木がある）

そして葉の大きさは　ツバキの葉の方がサザンカよりも大きい

ツバキはその材は固く良質で　ヒメツバキ属のイジュなどは1級建築材なのだそう

竹林で芽吹いた多くの実生の苗木が　自然の競り合いの中で　土へと還る中

僅かな日の光を物ともせず　堂々と美しい花を咲かせる　頼もしさ

どこか竹と似ているな　凛として　

The camellia in the bamboo forest

In our bamboo forest, I often see camellia and camellia sinensis.
Both of them sinensis are evergreen and they belong to the camellia family.
Sasanqua belong to the camellia family too, but it is difficult to distinguish it from to camellias.
When you want to distinguish them, you can check the size of their leaves and the timing when they bloom.
Camellia leaves are larger than sasanqua's and its season for flowering is from February to April while sasanqua flowers bloom from October to December.
Since there is only a little sunlight streaming through the bamboo in the forest, many seedlings return to the earth without blooming. therefore, I think they are truly vigorous tree to be survived in the forest, just like the other bamboos.