A New Shipment of Camellias
A large assortment of camellias just arrived and fall is a great time to get these beautiful evergreen shrubs in the ground. Camellias are easy to grow when placed in an appropriate location. Ideally, morning sun and afternoon shade is best. An area with dappled shade is also fine. Some varieties are fine with full sun given adequate moisture.
They prefer a well-drained soil that is enriched with organic matter. If your soil is heavy clay, mix in compost or 3- way mix. It is good to add a layer every spring and fall. Add a generous mulch around the plant to keep the roots cool but do not pile it up against the base of the trunk. Fertilize with a product formulated for acid-loving plants a few weeks after blooming. As always, follow directions precisely when using fertilizer products. Water new plants deeply once per week. After the plants have become established, they are drought tolerant.
Sasanqua Camellias – Native to Japan, the sasanqua camellias begin to bloom in the fall and early winter. The leaves and flowers are smaller than the japonicas but are usually quite profuse. They can tolerate full sun and are drought tolerant once established. Sasanquas should be positioned in a warm, sunny spot and bloom best after a hot summer and warm autumn season. They are effective as container plants, groundcovers and hedges, depending on the variety. They are lightly fragrant.
Apple Blossom – Pink bud open to single white flowers with a pink blush. This is a large camellia and can reach 10 feet. It is a good choice for a hedge or privacy screen. (Photo: Visual Hunt)
Yuletide – Bright red single flowers with yellow stamens appear around the Christmas holidays. This is a dense, compact shrub that can reach 8 feet in height. (Photo: Monrovia)
Pink-A-Boo – a sport of ‘Yuletide’ with pink flowers and yellow stamens. 8-10 feet. (Photo: Monrovia)
Setsugekka – Ruffled white flowers with yellow stamens appear on a vigorous 8-10 ft. plant. (Photo: Visual Hunt/Oregon State University)
Chansonette – A low-growing variety (3-4 ft tall) with bright pink flowers. Useful as a low hedge, espalier or ground cover. (Photo: Monrovia)
Japonica Camellias – These camellias have larger flowers and bloom in late winter through early spring. The leaves are glossy green and slightly larger than sasanqua.
Debutante – Luscious pink, peony-form blooms on a vigorous upright plant. Blooms are early to mid-season. 6-8 ft. A classic! (Photo: Monrovia)
Jury’s Pearl – Pearly white with pink and yellow shadings, the peony-form flowers appear from December to late March. Grows 6-8 ft. The name refers to the hybridizer Mark Jury. (Photo: Monrovia)
Magnoliaflora – Pale pink, semi-double flowers appear mid-season. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Pearl Maxwell – Soft, shell pink, formal double blooms in mid- to late winter. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Swan Lake – Large white flowers on a vigorous upright plant appear mid to late season. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Silver Waves – Large white semi-double flowers with wavy petal edges and yellow stamens bloom early to mid-season. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Rosehill Red – Showy scarlet flowers with yellow eyes from late winter to early spring. Deep green foliage. 8-10 ft. tall x 4-6 ft. wide. (Photo: Monrovia)
Nuccio’s Bella Rossa – Nuccio’s Growers in California have produced many fine camellias since the 1930s. The one sports red double flowers that open slowly. Very long blooming season. Heavy bud set. Medium, bushy, upright growth 6-8 ft. (Photo: Phillip Oliver)
Nuccio’s Pearl is a delicate beauty with mid-season formal double blooms of white with a rim of deep pink. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Nuccio’s Gem – Mid-season bloomer with large, white, perfectly-formed flowers. 6-8 ft. A frequent winner on the show table! (Photo: Monrovia)
Vestito Rosso – Crimson, perfectly formed red flowers; late winter to mid-spring. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Black Magic – Glossy dark-red flowers appear mid-season to late on a loose, upright shrub. The leaves on this one are very course and almost holly-like. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Phillip Oliver)
Unryu – A unique camellia that has twisting branches. Flowers are single, reddish-pink, funnel-shaped and appear in late winter. The name means “Dragon in the clouds”. A great choice for containers. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Phillip Oliver)
Hybrid Camellias – These camellias are those having two or more species (usually Japonica mixed with other species) in their parentage.
Taylor’s Perfection – Large semi-double light pink flowers appear in mid-season. A heavy bloomer. Grows 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
Coral Delight – Mid-season bloomer with deep coral pink flowers and yellow stamens. 6-8 ft. (Photo: Monrovia)
