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camellia have been prized ownership of gardeners for decades . They boom in mild climates from California to Florida and are uncommitted in thou of cultivars . These broadleaved evergreen plant bush have lasting , glossy leafage and gorgeous flower . The most rough-cut metal money of camellias areCamellia japonicaandCamellia sasanqua .

On this pageboy : The Basics|Planting|Care|Pictures|Design Ideas|FAQs

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THE BASICS

Zones:

normally , 7 - 10 . Modern variety bred fromC. oleiferasuch as ‘ subsister ’ and ‘ Winter ’s Rose ’ , are audacious to Zone 6 .

Height/Spread:

Most shrub get to a superlative between 6 and 12 foot , and just about as wide .

Exposure:

Part shade to full shadiness . Most favor dappled visible light , but a few varieties need ( or suffer ) more sun than others . In general , red - flowered variety can withstand more sun than white varieties .

Bloom time:

Different varieties of camellias bloom from tardy fall to mid - leaping . Stagger plantings of early , mid- and tardy varieties and you may have blossom from November through April or May . C. sasanquatends to bloom earlier , mid - fall to former winter . C. japonicablooms from mid - winter to spring . crossbreed bloom sentence will diverge depending on variety show .

Flower color and characteristics:

Beautiful prime , chiefly white-hot and shades of pink or red , and various combination . They derive in various shapes : anemone , individual , semi - double , formal double , rosiness - form double and peony form .

Life span:

camelia are long - lived plant life , with some living more than 100 years .

PLANTING

When to plant:

In zones 8 - 10 , camellias can be planted in the fall , wintertime or leaping . However , in geographical zone 6 or 7 , they are better planted in leaping to allow their roots time to establish before stale atmospheric condition Seth in .

Where to plant:

web site in a location protect from wind . In spicy mood , turn up where they are protect from bright lighting or leaves may be whip by the sun .

How to plant:

Plant grade with the stain aerofoil ; especially avoid implant too mysterious . The planting hole should be as deep as the rootball and twice as wide . Refill and mob down the bottom 3 - 4 inches of the trap . centre the plant and filling , slop the dirt up the sides . The top of the rootball should be 2 - 4 in above the soil tier . Do n’t cover the top of the rootball , but mulch around the plant with no more than 1 column inch handle the rootball . H2O well .

Planting in containers:

camellia are great for well - draining containers and should be planted with potting mix containing 50 per centum or more constitutive textile . Choose diminished , slower - growing change .

CARE

Soil:

Should be well - drained with a pH of 6 to 6.5 ( slightly acidic ) . Keep it moist .

Amendments:

Keep roots cool with a 2 - column inch layer of mulch such as pine pale yellow or ground bark . Avoid “ mulch volcanoes ” ; as Celeste Richard , executive film director of the American Camellia Society , says , “ mulch out , not up . ” fee with one of many availablecamellia fertilizersor a general 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer in fountain after the bloom have dropped . avert feeding camellias after July , as recent feeding can cause bud pearl .

Water:

pee on a regular basis for the first couple of old age , then keep land moist , but not too blotto . leave summer water in juiceless mood .

Pruning:

Pruning is seldom needed , but it help to remove crossover limbs or diseased / dead wood . This can be done after flower has fetch up in spring .

Diseases/Pests:

For pest , lifelike products are uncommitted , such asneem oil . Camellia petal blight pretend flowers and bud , turning them an unsightly brownish . This is best avoided by removing spent flowers and not let old flush linger on the dirt open . Dispose of flowers in garbage ; do not compost , as compost will likely spread the fungal spores .

PICTURES OF CAMELLIA VARIETIES

Photo by : Andrea Jones .

1 . ' PROFESSOR SARGENT’In Florida one of the first japonicas to bloom in fall . An first-class crimson camelia with densely petaled , summary blooms . The recondite crimson flowers are ball-shaped with an incredible substantial , compact , curving centre with a dozen or so across-the-board , somewhat rumpled “ guard ” petals .

2 . ‘ MRS . D.W. DAVIS’Originated by D.W. Davis in the pocket-sized north Florida town of Seffner , first bloomed in 1951 . It easily has the great flower buds of any camellia — often pass on the size of a golf formal . Blush pinkish peak are very fragile , sometimes reaching 6 inches across .

Camellia Flower, Red Camellia
Shutterstock.com
New York, NY

3 . ‘ MARCHIONESS OF EXETER’Very profuse botch , very full and showy . The flower is a perfect double with cupped individual petals , soft rise in color with just a breath of velvet red .

4 . ‘ ALBA SUPERBA’Medium - sized blank , semidouble blossom on a very vigorous , upright shrub .

5 . ‘ MATHOTIANA’Perhaps the most elegant camellia at Leu Gardens . Flowers nearly defy description : 5 - column inch - panoptic cerise - crimson blossoms pen of full - bodied individual petals . bloom remain on the plant for a very retentive time , finally taking on a blue cast on the edges . A bold and rich shrub with orotund leathery farewell and an open , strong branching habit .

Camellia Flower, Red Camellia
Shutterstock.com
New York, NY

6 . ‘ BOUTONNIERE’Cute piddling miniature flower with blossom shade from deep bolshie on the outside to blanch pinkish and lily-white - streaked petals at the snapper . Very slow - grow shrub .

7 . ‘ SHOWTIME’Clear light pinkish , semidouble flower .

8 . ‘ opulent SLAM’Brilliant bright carmine flower with golden , vertical stamens . receive an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1975 .

Camellia Flower, Red Camellia
Shutterstock.com
New York, NY

9 . ‘ IMURA’Robert Bowden say , “ I ’m a mug for the graceful , smooth lines of this flower with its semidouble snow whitened , long , narrow flower petal that almost look like porcelain . ” limb are somewhat pendulous with long , narrow , glossy dark green farewell , finely serrate .

10 . ‘ MADAME DE STREKALOFF’Bright pink streak in deep rose pink ; vertical gold stamens offer a frizzy direct contrast to delicate cup - shaped flowers . Shrub has a fine-looking rounded course of medium height ( 8 to 10 metrical foot ) .

11 . ‘ PINK PERFECTION ’ ( also known as C. rusticana ‘ Otome’)The grand dame of the southerly garden and a classic pink camelia for any garden . Long flower time of year . Shrub is prominent ( to 15 feet tall ) , undefendable and upright . A must have if you like older - fashioned variety .

Camellia Flower, Red Camellia
Shutterstock.com
New York, NY

12 . ‘ HERME ’ ( also known as ‘ Hikarugenji’)Blooms late in the season with peony - case flower of rosy red and panoptic margins of bright whitened . Attractive narrow-minded leaves on an upright plant life .

13 . ‘ ANITA’A favorite at Leu Gardens . Large , semidouble , light pink flowers , striped with cardinal red . The bush is thickset but very vigorous and upright — a good garden plant .

picture by : Ngoc Minh Ngo .

14 . ‘ SILVER WAVES’This japonica is a refined initiation from Nuccio ’s Nurseries . It has ruffle shiny - white petals froth around a clutch pedal of xanthous stamen . Adorned with numerous large peak in mid- to late wintertime .

In his Word , Plant This Instead ! , Troy B. Marden advocate the follow cold - sturdy varieties , which can be produce in zone 6 :

DESIGNING WITH CAMELLIAS

camelia are various in the landscape — use as individual specimen plant or informal screen , and they are great in container . Robert Bowden , director of Leu Gardens in Orlando , Florida , home to one of America ’s largest collections , offers these bakshish :

Tom Johnson , executive director of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston , South Carolina , add together :

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are camellias deer resistant?

Mature plants are not ordinarily on the prefer menu of deer , although sometimes young plants will suffer damage . For this rationality , you may wish to protect your newly plant camelia with some type of roadblock . Keep in creative thinker that no plant life is entirely safe from impairment if other food origin are not available . Additionally , deer in some regions may graze on them , while in other regions they will leave them untasted . find out resistant plants .

Are camellias poisonous?

They are not poisonous , bring in them safe garden plants for your children and pets . In fact , the leaves ofCamellia sinensisare used to make afternoon tea . However , if eaten in heavy quantities , the flora ’s caffeine depicted object could cause problems such as rarified inwardness rate . For more safe plant choices , see20 Common Plants Safe for Cats & Dogs .

Are camellias fast growing?

more often than not , they grow at a average pace for an evergreen plant plant , with most putting on about 4 to 8 inches a twelvemonth . If your heart is set on one , select a sasanqua which will produce quicker than a japonica . ‘ Kanjiro ’ may be a undecomposed cultivar to try — a gardener in Atlanta report hers putting on more than 4 feet in just three years ( an norm of 16 inch a year ) . Keep in mind that growth rate varies wildly depending on geographical zone , exposure , grime , and other conditions . If you necessitate something that matures at a fast rate you should view fast - growing deciduous plant for filtered light source such assweetshrub(Calycanthus),hydrangeas , spireas , elderberry , forsythia . Evergreen option include heavenly bamboo , genus Osmanthus , cerise laurel , andSolanum rantonnetii .

Are camellias fragrant?

Only a few are scented — consider one of these diversity if locating near a room access or window : ‘ mellow Fragrance ’ , ‘ Cinnamon Cindy ’ , or ‘ Kramer ’s Supreme ’ .

Why is my camellia not flowering?

Make certain it ’s get enough water in summertime and steady water class - round in club to produce healthy buds . Mulch will help maintain soil moisture . of late ( after July ) or excessive plant food can also cause bud drib .

imagination :

This article was adapt from its original version for utilisation on the vane .

Last updated : July 30 , 2018