Camellias in the Greenhouse
Camellia ‘Winter’s Joy’
This time of year you will find camellias bursting into bloom inside our greenhouse.
This is also a good time to get new plants into 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.
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 of fresh compost 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. Do not apply commercial fertilizers until next spring. Then use a fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Cottonseed meal is also a good fertilizer for camellias. 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.
There are two major types of camellias – “Sasanqua” and “Japonica”. A third type are the Hybrids which are varieties resulting from crosses between two or more species.
Japonicas bloom mainly in early spring although some varieties can bloom earlier in the season. The flowers are large and unscented. The leaves are thick and glossy.
Sasanqua camellias bloom from October through February. The flowers and leaves are smaller than japonicas and some have a light fragrance. These camellias also adapt better to sunnier locations.
We currently have the following varieties (December 2021):
Japonica – Debutante, Magnoliaflora, Silver Waves, Nuccio’s Gem, Black Magic, Vestito Rosso, Nuccio’s Bella Rosa, April Remembered, Nuccio’s Pearl, Swan Lake, Rosehill Red, Unryu, April Dawn, Pearl Maxwell, April Tryst
Sasanqua – Setsugekka, Purple Haze, Chansonette, Yuletide
Hybrid – Pink Icicle, Buttermint, Coral Delight, Taylor’s Perfection, Winter’s Joy, Jury’s Pearl, Winter’s Snowman
‘Yuletide’
‘Unryu’
‘Apple Blossom’
‘Debutante’
‘Setsugekka’
