Discovered in the New Territories of Hong Kong in 1955 and named after the then Governor Sir Alexander Grantham. In autumn, the large brown buds open to very large, pure white, single flowers with a central mass of bright orange stamens, the brown leathery bud scales persisting long after flowering finishes. The leaves are also large, and deeply impressed with veins. Although not reliably hardy, C.granthamiana will cope with winters outside in milder parts of the UK, but will flower better if given a warmer environment, such as a cold greenhouse or conservatory.
For the closely related pink-flowered hybrid see Camellia hybrid Pink Granthamiana
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Rare plant 
