Similarities between peonies and camellias include lushly petaled blooms and a tendency to outlive their owners.
Camellias can be planted from container-grown nursery plants at almost anytime of year except during the hottest summer months.
They are slow-growing but exceptionally long-lived plants.
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Camellia Care
Camellias are best planted in rich, moist soil in a partial shade location.
If planting multiple camellia shrubs, space them at least five feet apart.
They do not like to compete for water and nutrients with trees in close proximity.
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In favorable conditions, camellia is an easy-to-care-for plant that requires pruning only to remove dead branches.
Water
Camellias require consistently moist soil.
Dry periods that occur during bud development result in fewer flowers with a lower petal count.
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Drought-stressed plants can also causespider miteinfestations.
Twice-a-week watering for a total of one inch of water per week is a good watering schedule.
Apply athree-inch layer of mulchto moderate soil temperatures, retain soil moisture, and stifle weeds.
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A northern-facing location has an advantage over a warmer south-facing location.
Avoid feeding after August because the new growth that fertilizer promotes can be damaged by cold temperatures.
The acidity that camellias favor can be provided by a fertilizer designed explicitly for camellias or azaleas.
Camellia ‘Yuletide’Peter Stevens/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
TheCamelliagenus belongs to theTheaceae(tea) plantfamily and includes well over 100 species.
But nearly all garden camellias, of which there are hundreds of different types, are cultivars developed fromC.
japonica(Japanese camellia) orC.
Camellia ‘April Dawn’Ed/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
sasanqua(sansaqua camellia).
A third common species,C.
sinensis,is normally grown for teaproduction, not as an ornamental plant.
Additional species sometimes lend their genetics to hybrids.
saluenensis.These are considered some of the most cold-hard camellias, usually reliably hardy to zone 6.
Prune camellias after flowering to keep the interior of the shrubs free of dead and non-blooming branches.
Remove any branches that droop on the ground.
Branches that show signs of blight or other fungal diseases should also be pruned and removed.
It’s more common to propagate by layering.
When seeds are mature, the pod begins to crack slightly and seeds are ready to be picked.
Plant in potting soil, peat moss, or a combination of peat moss and sand.
Keep the soil damp.
Seeds usually germinate in one month if planted immediately after harvesting.
Some seeds might not germinate until spring.
A better chance of germination pops up if seeds are planted immediately upon ripening.
confirm the container has adequate drainage holes because camellias do not tolerate wet feet.
Fill the space with leaves.
A very common disease is petal blight, which causes the flowers to shrivel as they are just opening.
When purchasing new shrubs, inspect them carefully to double-check they are healthy.
Burned Leaf Edges
This is usually a sign of chemical burn resulting from overfertilizing.
Omit the next feeding and see if the symptoms resolve.
Camellias are often used in shrub borders, backgrounds, and loose hedges.
Camellias have been in cultivation as garden plants for more than 1,000 years.
Some good options include: ‘Kramer’s Supreme’, aC.
japonicacultivar that tops out at eight feet and is cold hardy; ‘October Magic’, aC.
sasanquacultivar that grows only about three feet tall; and Shi Shi Gashira’, aC.
sasanquavariety that grows five to six feet tall.
Lauderdale, D. (2015, November 23).How to grow camellias.
https://pitt.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/11/how-to-grow-camellias/
Container grown camellias.
(2021, February 26).Camellia diseases & insect pests.
Home & Garden Information Center | Clemson University, South Carolina.
