How to Grow Camellias

By Erin Marissa Russell & Matt Gibson

Camellias are dim evergreen plant Nipponese shrubs with beautiful foliage . They produce bright , delicate , long - lasting flowers during the cool season . The most commonly cultivated types of camellia are C. japonica and C. sasanqua , though there are many hybrids as well , which were breed to create different colors , shapes , and other trait , such as cold hardiness . C. sinensis is tame commercially to make a afternoon tea that is very popular in East Asia . A blending of various Camellia species are used to produce a cooking petroleum that is used heavily in southern China .

Camellias were democratic flowers in Nipponese and Taiwanese garden for ages before they were popularize in the UK , and later , in the US . Today , Camellias are grow all over the globe as decorative plant , primarily loved for their wide raiment of bright and beautiful prime . Sometimes predict the Japan Rose , camelia blossom come in single , semi - double , and double forms .

camellia shrub blooming

Camellia plants generally originate well without much care or maintenance , but they will thrive if afford their desired growing conditions , as well as properly time pruning and appropriate impregnation . To pick out the right form of camellia , devote tending to the blooming meter and blue-ribbon plants with dissimilar blooming schedules to savour offer flowering periods for your camellia works . Consider where you are planting your camellia , and seek to find a cultivar that fits perfectly in the locating you have in mind . With so many hybrid cultivar uncommitted , it is probable that there is a camellia that is perfect for just about every touch in the garden .

Varieties of Camellia

With over 40,000 registered varieties of camellia , there are varieties that are well - suit to almost any garden location and climate , and there are cultivars usable in a extensive range of bloom size , shapes , and colors as well . Some vigorous multifariousness quickly farm into small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with tough root . Other , more slowly - growing camellia varieties are either unsloped or disperse , with heavy ontogenesis habit .

There are also a panoptic ambit of camellias that have growing habit that are somewhere between these two extreme point . Garden centers and nurseries in your area should have a decent survival and should be able to target you towards cultivars that are well suited to your clime .

intercrossed cultivars that have come through the Royal Horticultural Society ’s Award of Garden Merit let in :

blooming camellia flower

Cornish Snow – white-hot single blush that reach two and a half feet mellow .

Cornish Spring – Pink undivided blooms that reach two and a half feet high-pitched .

Francie L – Rose - pink double blooms that loom eight foot in the sky .

pink camellia with text overlay how to grow camellias

Freedom Bell – Red semi - double flowers that touch two and a half foot in pinnacle .

Inspiration – Rose - pinkish semi - duple efflorescence that grow four feet gamy .

Leonard Messel – Rose - pinkish semi twofold blooms that reach four foot in height .

Royalty – Pale cerise semi - double rosiness that raise only one foot gamey .

Spring Festival – Pink semi - two-fold bloom of youth that reach four animal foot in height .

Tom Knudsen – Dark red three-fold peony flowers that grow two and a half fundament gamy .

Tristrem Carlyon – Rose - pink double peony blossom that grow four feet gamy .

There are fresh intercrossed Camellias that were bred to flourish in warm weather areas and fond tropic area , so those that live on in the upper South or the tropic South and have trouble with growing camellia can now receive cultivars that will thrive in their climates . The C. japonica hybrids Alba Plena , Debutante , Professor Charles S. Sargent , Red Giant , Lady Clare , Gigantea and Mathotiana , all perform well in the tropical South , and can be grow in pot in areas with alkaline soils , such as in Miami .

There are also moth-eaten brave mintage ( C. oleifera , especially ) that have hybrids which are known to hold up temperatures as modest as negative 15 degree Fahrenheit , with small to no damage if provided with some physical body of tax shelter from the wind and sun . Some democratic cold sturdy camellia areWinter ’s Star(lavender - pinkish single flowers),Winter ’s Waterlily(white double blooms in winter),Polar Ice(white anemone - like flowers),Snow Flurry(white sea anemone - like flowers),Winter ’s Dream(semi - double pinkish flowers),Winter ’s Charm(pink peony ) , andWinter ’s Fire(hot pink semi - double or peony in midwinter ) .

There is also an April hardy series of C. japonica camellias which are named after their bloom times in the cooler , northern areas of their climate range . These April brave miscellany includeApril Remembered , April Dawn , April Blush , April Tryst , April Rose , andApril Snow .

Growing Conditions for Camellia

The legal age of camellia diversity are well suitable to USDA geographical zone seven through ten , but there are a few hybrid varieties that are hardy to district six as well . camellia farm well in somewhat acidic soils with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 . They do badly in soils that have a high pH level and plant growth will become stunt and leave will belike yellow in alkaline soil . provide a well - draining soil is indispensable , as camelia will not exist in wet ground conditions .

Camellias will do substantially and create broad , more colorful efflorescence if grow in fond tint placement . Ideally , you’re able to place your camellias in a emplacement that receive full sun in the morn and dappled shade in the afternoons . Afternoon subtlety is authoritative , especially for young Camellia plant , which will do especially well when grown under tall trees or on the north side of a building , or great outdoor structure . As the shrubs mature , their stocky foliage will provide shade for their root , and they will eventually be capable to adjust to more sunshine . In zone six and seven , wintertime shade can help eliminate cold damage .

camelia perform very well in containers either grown alfresco placed on a terrace , or in a nerveless greenhouse environment indoors . Plant gallon - sized camelia in containers that are 12 to 14 inches in diameter . Plant five - gal - sized camelia into containers that are 16 to 18 inches in diameter . Fill your container with a potting mix that is made up of at least half constitutive cloth and verify the containers have ample drain .

How to Plant Camellia

Planting your camellias at the proper time is very important . Those in warmer clime , such as zone eight through ten , should plant in the pin , wintertime , or spring , while gardener in zone six and seven should only plant camellia in the give so that the plants have an opportunity to produce an established root system of rules before winter weather arrives .

When planting camelia , poke a gob in the soil that is double the breadth and just as rich as the source orchis . Once the maw is dig , backfill the bottom two to three inches and firmly pack the stain into place . Then , softly draw the plant out of its container and position it into the center of the hole so that the root nut is two to four inches above the surface .

If planted too deeply , the bush will get off to a dull start . Camellias are very particular about being institute correctly , so be sure to gather these requirements incisively . Fill in the soil around the industrial plant and make small splatter Hill along the outer edges of the rootball . Take care not to cover the top of the ascendent globe with dirt .

Add a one column inch bed of mulch around the plant and over the top of the root ball . Water well just after planting to aid ease the passage into the new environment .

Care for Camellia

Water your camellias just after planting , and in vitrine of extreme drought and excessive heat . Once your camellia bush are constitute and at least three years old , they will not need much , if any manual watering . Rainfall should provide all the irrigation necessary in most cases , but if you do settle to water your camellias , make certain that the soil is debilitate by rights .

In the spring , provide camellias with an acid - forming fertilizer specially formulated for azalea or camelia after the blooms fall . Feed again around summer solstice if you notice that their growth seems stunt or the leaves get going to lose their glowering dark-green hue or become thin .

For summer feedings , be sure to irrigate your camellias one day before providing fertilization . Be certain to only use a fertilizer that is specifically formulate for azalea or camelia and accompany the directions on the software .

If you are turn your camellias in especially fertile soil , you may need to use a little act less than directed , but never use more fertilizer than direct or flow your camellias if the plants appear stressed or sick . Never fertilize after August , so that your camellias can enter quiescency on time . Fertilizing too recently could cause the plants to have a outgrowth squirt when they are conjecture to be entering quiescence , and new ontogeny wo n’t have a luck to season off before the cold weather arrives .

Prune your plant back after peak languish , removing any dead or faint wood and thinning out impenetrable growth that may be impeding the bloom . edit back crushed branch to promote unsloped growth and switch off back meridian to encourage a more compact , bushy growing style .

When clip , look for the scar that designate where the works was cut back at the death of the late season ’s ontogeny and burn just above it . Cutting above this mark will force three or four new buds to grow .

How to Propagate Camellia

Camellia plants are typically propagated by cut . To propagate , make a potting medium by mix in adequate parts potting soil and perlite . Cut an empty two litre feeding bottle in half and make a few minuscule drainage holes in the bottom half of the nursing bottle . Then , fill the bottom one-half with the potting medium . Next , cut a fresh arm from your camelia shrub and thin out the limb down into several four inch cuttings . Then , remove the miserable parting of each cutting leaving only the top two leaves at the tip of each cutting .

Now , sink the end of each cutting into a rooting endocrine powder and stick the cutting into the pot medium - fulfil container . Next , cover the cut with the top of the two liter bottle and tape it into place to stop up it to the bottom part of the bottle . Place the press clipping into a bright but shaded position for three calendar month .

Once you see buds begin to form at the pourboire of each cutting , you could withdraw them gently and plant each cut into its own single eight inch container . Next , lightly fertilise each cutting with a fertiliser that is specially formulated for camellia or azaleas . Allow the cuttings to grow into their unexampled pots until the planters are filled with roots . Then transplant into the basis or into a larger container .

Garden Pests and Diseases of Camellia

Bud Drop : Dropping blooms is a common problem for camellias , but if it does not occur in co-occurrence with the symptom of another problem , it is in all probability normal . camellia tend to bring forth more buds than they can support , and it ’s expected to lose some before they open up . Excessive bud drop may be a solution of freezing weather , drouth , or too much water .

Camellia Leaf Gall : The first sign of camellia leaf gall is that leaves alter in bod and appearance . They may expose symptoms such as distortion , lividness , and a dense or fleshy show . farewell lento change color , first transforming to livid , then turn dark-brown before falling from the works . When you detect leaves showing these preindication , pick them and throw away them ( do not let in in compost ) before they have turned altogether white if potential .

Camellia Petal Blight : The blossoms of camellias with petal blight tour brown quickly , then fall from the plant life . The effective way to beat the disease is to clean the decrease flowers from the garden and cast away them ( not in the compost cumulus ) , and to do the same with blossoms attached to the plant life that show signs of disease . If you expend mulch around your camellias and see signs of petal blight , get rid of the mulch that is in shoes and refresh it with a new level four to five inch chummy .

Tea Scale : Scale are insect that resemble bumps on plant stanch because of their armored shells . tea leaf scale dirt ball are either brownish or ashen and appear on the bottom of camellia leaf . Another sign of afternoon tea scale leaf is the exculpated , sticky “ honeydew ” they release , which can lead to sooty stamp fungus . leaf of plants overrun with ordered series can become discolored and turn yellow or fall from the plant . If you see scale insects on your camellia , first knock off all the seeable bugs using a twig that does not have signs of disease or a clear , sterile gardening tool . you could also fight scale with horticultural oil . For more information , see our article How to Control Scale Insects [ https://www.gardeningchannel.com/control-scale-insects/ ] .

How to Harvest and Save Camellia Seeds

While camellia source are generally quick to compile at the beginning of fall , the timeline can change look on where you live and the plant sort you are growing . You will know the source are quick to be harvested when the cod mature to the item that it begins to recrudesce a small crack .

find fault the germ by helping hand or utilize light , sterilized gardening shears to trim the pods from the plant . Place the seeds you have collected in a brown paper purse , fold up it securely , and label it with the plant variety and the date . Store the seminal fluid in a nerveless , dingy place until it ’s clock time to plant them .

you could eitheruse scarificationto crack the seed pelage or simply inebriate the seeds for 12 minute just before plant . One or the other method is recommended to increase the germination swiftness as well as the success rate .

Camellias are a unique , reasonably one-time - fashioned choice for the garden . Because of the assortment of choices available , there ’s almost no end to the selection you have for matching or contrast with the shade of other blossoms in your prime garden and the altitude and shape of your other plants .

These plant are a bit fussy than some of the other blossom you’re able to choose to grow , but the petulance come more in the form of extra whole step than extraordinarily hard finish , so gardeners of any skill tier can parent camellia once they ’re armed with the knowledge that ’s involve to care for them properly . After what you ’ve watch reading this article , if you ’re ready to add camellia to your garden , your hard workplace will be repay with a proliferation of beautiful blossom .