The collection records show neither source nor planting date for this plant.

The register entry for the variety is:

Mrs Anne Marie Hovey. (C.japonica), Hovey’s Catalogue of New Plants for 1872, p.43: Large, formal double. Its most remarkable character is its quality of producing flowers in many different colours. The prevailing colour is a clear, waxy white, delicately pencilled with crimson, but many are of darkest carmine. Some are of deep shades of blush; others blush striped carmine, some white tinted rose; others white stained and marbled carmine; some half white and half deep rose or occasionally pure white. Mid-season blooming. Plant habit is erect and symmetrical; leaves, medium size, deep green. Originated by C.M. Hovey, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. See black and white photo, p.163, Hertrich, 1959, Camellias in the Huntington Gardens, vol.III. Orthographic variants and errors: ‘Mrs A.M. Hovey’, ‘Madame Hovey’, ‘Souvenir of Mme Marie Hovey’, ‘Anamarie Hovey’, ‘Mme Hovey’, ‘Anna Maria Hovey’, ‘Lady Hovey’, ‘Miss Anne Maria Hovey’, ‘Mrs Anne M. Hovey’, ‘Mrs Hovey’, ‘Mrs Annie Maria Hovey’, ‘Anne Marie Hovey’, ‘Mrs A.W. Horveney’, ‘Miss Annemarie Hovey’. Sports: Mrs Anne Marie Hovey White, Mrs Anne Marie Hovey Blush. Received an RHS., First Class Certificate in 1897.

The most obvious way in which the collection plant doesn’t match the description is that all its flowers are pink, with neither white or bicolored flowers ever being produced. Until this year (2024) I had seen a little virus variegation on a flower just once. This year it is much more extensive and almost none of the flowers has opened to more than about an inch across before shattering. The petals on the ground show a good deal of virus blotching. It has quite distinctive foliage, with large, thick textured, broad leaves. The bigger leaves are 11-12.5 cm long including 1cm petiole, 7-7.5cm wide.