Camellia: Passion, Desire

The camellia blooms on its own when you want it the most. These evergreen shrubs featuring shiny leaves embellish a quiet garden with its gorgeous flowers during winter. Their compact tree structure makes it capable to withstand pruning. Hence, they can definitely meet expectations, whether they are used as landscape trees or hedges.

Hedge full of Camellias

According to the different taxonomy systems, there are 100 to 300 species in the genus camellia, but only Camellia japonica, C. sasanqua, and their hybrids are commonly used as ornamental plants. C. sasanqua flowers tend to blossom in late autumn, while the more common C. japonica blooms later, which happens during the coldest time in winter.

Camellia japonica blooming in the frost

People started the selection of camellias a long time ago, so there are many varieties of Japanese camellias. When you choose to design your garden with camellias, there are many options available for you.

You can choose from bright red flowers, soft pink flowers, fresh white flowers, or the option of mixing different colors in a flower. Their flower options include single petals, double petals, and semi-double petals, and some varieties of camellia even have their petals arranged in a geometrical pattern.

Places of interest

If you wish to enjoy a spectacular view of camellias, visit Massee Lane Gardens in Fort Valley, GA.

In the 1930s, it was just a private garden owned by David C. Strother. Crazy enough, this fanatical camellia enthusiast traveled around the world, collecting thousands of varieties of camellias. In between travels, the garden was expanded multiple times, making it one of the largest and best camellia gardens in the world.

Now, Massee Lane Gardens is open to the public as a scenic spot and is the headquarters of the American Camellia Society. The best time to visit the garden is from October to January when you can witness the magnificent sea of camellias.

As beautiful as camellia

Camellias were introduced to Europe in the 1700s, and they soon became a popular luxury. In the famous work La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, camellias became the trademark symbol of the heroine because this ever-popular Parisian social butterfly always wore a camellia flower whenever she attended an occasion.

Poster of La Dame aux Camélias drawn by Alphonse Mucha

While women struggled for the right to vote in New Zealand, they chose the white camellia as their symbol. As a result, the camellia appeared in New Zealand’s 10 dollar note.

Do you know the relationship between camellias and tea?

The tea we drink actually comes from the plant Camellia sinensis which is of the same genus of camellias. Their flowers are smaller and white, and the leaves are thin, so it has little ornamental value. However, their leaves are rich in caffeine, and caffeine-like theophylline, which makes great tea and exhibits the same refreshing effect as coffee.

Tea plantations in the valley

Camellia flowers’ leaves can also be used to make tea, but their thick and leathery leaves are more troublesome to deal with.

C. oleifera seeds are rich in oil and can be used to extract edible oil. Camellia seeds can also be used to extract oil, but the efficiency is less than that of C. oleifera.

Camellia in the eyes of Japanese

Unlike sasanqua camellia, when the flowers of Japanese camellia fall, they don’t fall one petal at a time. Instead, it always falls as a whole flower. When the flowers fall, the ground is filled with bright red flowers, creating a spectacular view. The Japanese have always believed that it has something to do with beheading, so they seldom use it for cut flowers.

Even so, camellias are still essential plants in the gardens of Japanese temples. Many cultivated varieties of ancient origin can be found in temples.

Can I grow a decent Camellia?

Camellias are very easy to grow. As long as the growth conditions meet their requirements, there is almost no hassle in growing camellias. Undoubtedly, if you take good care of them, they will respond to your effort and care with beautiful blooms. Proper watering, fertilization, and pruning are the keys to the healthy growth of camellia.

Camellias prefer moist soil. When there is no rain, deep irrigation twice a week is the right amount of watering. Adding fertilizers every spring can promote the production of more flowers and bigger flowers in winter. The recommended pruning time is right after the flowers have withered to allow sufficient time for developing new branches. Covering the land where camellia grows with mulch is very helpful because the mulch not only makes the garden look cleaner but also prevents the soil water from evaporating and maintains the humidity of the land.

Size: Typically 6-15 feet tall

Hardiness: USDA zone 7-10

Sunlight: partial shade

Soil: well-drained, moist, slightly acidic

Bloom time: deep fall to early spring (depending on species)