Camellias, Guide to the Selection and Care

Camellias are one of the most versatile shrubs for the garden. Often called “The Aristocrat of the Garden,” they suit the needs for many a setting, be it sun or shade, whether you want flowers in the fall or in the spring.      At McDonald Garden Center, our primary goal is your gardening success. This may come in the form of planting or site selection instructions, or maybe in new and improved varieties, including hardy selections.      You can be sure of the widest selection in the area, and always with the newest varieties. We hope this will guide you in your gardening and use of camellias. Our knowledgeable staff of Virginia Certified Horticulturists is always ready to provide assistance.

 

• Uses in the Garden • Flowering Characteristics • Planting and Care • Gibbing • Insects and Pests • Disease Problems • History

Varieties      • Japonica           • Red           • Pink           • White           • Variegated      • Sasanquas           • Red           • Pink           • White

 

There is such perfection of beauty in the camellia blossom that even if the plants were unappealing we would still find a place for them in the garden.
As hedges: A few of the japonicas and sasanquas can be used for hedges. Many of the new hybrids are outstanding for this purpose. Shishi Gashira is an excellent choice. Camellias make fine garden dividing screens, also.
Some gardeners prefer to use a single variety, but a hedge of mixed camellias with different flowering seasons and colors can also be effective. The important thing is to choose plants with similar foliage and growth characteristics. The hedge or screen can be informal with practically no pruning, or it can be pruned at any height and shaped in a formal manner.
As a garden in the woods: Can you imagine a more beautiful shrub garden than one of groups of camellias, separated and outlined by broad, easy meandering walks, and
lightly shaded by pines
or live oaks?

Such a garden should consist of masses of camellias, planted 5 to 6 feet apart within the mass. Azaleas, pieris and pines are great complements in the wooded garden.
As a container plant: Camellias take so well to box and tub culture that many gardeners never plant them in open ground. Using them as “mobile” plants you can observe them in various situations and under different growing conditions.
The use of the camellia as an attractively potted entrance plant is a natural. Here you get close-up viewing and, in most cases, a simple background. Even when the entrance is in shade all day long, you can find certain varieties that will thrive under such conditions.
Other uses include using them for
cut greens at Christmas or holiday time, combined with needle evergreens such as pine and cedar.
Camellias also can be used against a wall or in a narrow space as an espalier.

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Camellias come in a wide array of flower colors, sizes, and forms—there's even a wide variety of bloom times. By careful selection, flowers can be enjoyed from the fall until spring, with hardly a let-up in between.

1. Miniature (under 2-1/2") 2. Small (2-1/2" to 3") 3. Medium (3" to 3-1/2") 4. Medium Large (3-1/2") 5. Large (4" to 5") 6. Very Large (over 5")

Bloom Time
Early - December to January

Mid - January to March

Late - March to May
Sasanquas bloom in fall, and no bloom time is given.
Exceptions are noted in individual descriptions.

Mid-season flowering varieties that bloom from January until March are best suited for warmer conditions. In cooler climates, only early (Dec - Jan) and late-flowering varieties are recommended. Many varieties will withstand temperatures as low as five to ten degrees Fahrenheit without plant damage. Temperatures below 28°F will damage open flowers.

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Japonica

The most popular species is the Camellia japonica, or spring-blooming camellia. It is very popular because of its greater range of flower size, foliage, and growth habit. Its flowers come in a wider variety of colors, ranging from the chalkiest white to the perfect blush, all shades of pink and rose, to reds and the variegations of these colors in differing patterns.
The japonicas have the longest blooming season of all the species: its flowering season lasts from winter through late spring. A careful variety selection can provide continuous blooms throughout that entire period. The foliage of the japonica is superior to other plants, as it doesn't lose its dark green leaves in the fall. You have a beautiful green shrub all year round with dramatic leaves that look shiny & waxed.

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Sasanquas

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Generally speaking, camellias prefer sites that are sheltered from the wind. The japonicas, or spring-blooming camellias, need protection from hot mid-day sun. For flowers' sake, the whites and pale pink flowering types will need more shade than the deeper colors. The sasanqua, or fall-blooming camellia, is able to withstand full sun, but does equally well in light shade.

Camellias will grow in moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils. A soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is best for camellias. A soil test made before planting will tell you what is needed to bring the soil to the desired pH and fertility level.

With the site chosen, you can prepare the planting area. In the long run, the best thing you can do for your camellias is to work up the entire planting bed and incorporate organic matter and perlite. This takes additional time in the beginning, but it is well worth it, and should allow for greater success. This is easily accomplished with a tiller or by turning the soil over by hand using a shovel.

To prepare the bed, first turn the soil to loosen and break up any large clumps of soil.

Add soil amendments next, which will keep the organic content high while maintaining a well-drained site. Mix thoroughly
1/3 soil
1/3 perlite
1/3 Nutri-green compost
to insure even distribution.

Once the bed is prepared, rake out the soil, trying to fill in any low spots where water may settle. Allow water to run away from the center of the bed, or away from the house on foundation beds. Set your plants in place while still in their containers for purposes of spacing.

In general, camellias should be planted at least five to six feet apart; closer, if a hedge is desired.

When planting, the hole should be wider, but shallower than the root ball, and the hole should allow for at least 1/4 of the root ball to remain above ground. Camellias should never be planted with any soil covering the top of the root ball.

Remove the plant from its container, gently easing the plant out. If necessary, use a sharp knife to slit open the container to remove the plant.

Set the plant in the hole, insuring at least one quarter remains above the ground, fill in the hole with the prepared soil, and firm the soil around the root ball to eliminate any air pockets which could dry out the roots. Mulch to a depth of two to three inches with an organic mulch such as pine bark, pine needles, or hardwood mulch.

From this point on, the most critical aspect for camellias is water. Camellias need to be watered slowly and thoroughly once planted, so that the water penetrates deeply. Camellias will require the equivalent of one inch of water per week to become established for the first two years. This may come in the form of rainfall, but more often than not it needs to be supplemented by irrigation.

Trickle or drip irrigation works best in this situation because it delivers water directly to the roots and waters slowly. Much less water is used and wasted this way.

Camellias should be fed twice a year with Greenleaf Plant Food. Feed spring bloomers once their blooming has finished, and again in the fall when dormancy sets in (usually after Thanksgiving). Fall bloomers, such as the sasanqua and cold-hardy camellias can be fed after blooming in fall, and once again in early to mid spring.

Pruning Camellias
Pruning can be done for the purpose of controlling insects and diseases. This type of pruning involves removing small branches and twigs that occur on limbs in the interior of the plant. The leaves of the small branches are a haven for scale and other pests.

It’s best to prune camellias after blooming and before new growth begins. Pruning may be continued throughout the year in moderation; however, try not to prune after June, for you may remove flower buds for the upcoming season. Pruning improves air circulation, which also helps prevent pests; and of course the best blooms are usually produced on vigorous plants.

Good sanitation is important. Wash or dip the tools in a mixture of one part Clorox to nine parts water. Do not lay the tools on the ground: this can spread harmful organisms to the cut surface of the plant.

As a general rule, cut out branches that tend to grow inward, for they will certainly be shaded out in later years.

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Although it is not necessary to apply gibberallic acid for camellias to bloom, it can be fun to encourage early blooming and show family and friends the first flower of the season. Since the sasanquas bloom in fall, they do not need to be gibbed; only the spring bloomers should be used for this, since these bloom later in the year.

Camellia flower buds can be forced into blooming early following treatment with gibberallic acid in late summer or early fall. In many instances, the treated flowers are larger than normal.
A solution of gibberallic acid must be applied to individual flower buds to stimulate them into action.

The time required for a treated bud to flower cannot be accurately pre-determined. Early flowering varieties may bloom within 30 days of treatment: varieties that normally bloom late often require 60 to 90 days to open.

The time to apply gib differs, but is usually the end of August or the first of September. Gib at weekly or other intervals rather than in one session. This will ensure that you have flowers over a longer period of time. Camellias set flower buds only once a year, so an autumn gibbed bud will not be replaced for spring.

Most people like to leave about 80% untreated. Apply gib very sparingly to a young plant.

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Only a few insects and pests are of great importance: these are scale, aphids and mites.
Scale insects are the most common and troublesome on camellias, representing about 90% of the insect problem on camellias. Their numbers include the following:

• Tea Scale is the most common and damaging. It infests only the underside of a leaf. Male insects appear whitish, females dark brown. Symptoms include yellow chlorotic splotches on the upper surface and a white, cottony mass underneath.

• Camellia Scale, like Tea Scale, infests only camellia leaves. The female is light- to medium-brown and oystershell-shaped, measuring about 1/10 of an inch. The male is similar, but shorter.

• Wax Scale is also found on the stems and trunks of camellias and many other woody ornamentals. The waxy covering is white or slightly pink, oval, and 1/4 inch in diameter.
Scale Control is harder when populations are heavy. Homeowners should spray at the first sign of scale. Scalecide is most effective when the plants are thoroughly covered. It should be applied only during the spring and fall when the temperature is between 40°F and 85°F. Apply no more than 3 times per year with at least 60 days in between sprays. It is compatible with other insecticides. Ferti-lome Evergreen Spray is also registered for scale control.

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Root rot and dieback are the two most important diseases that can kill camellias. Flower blight may also be a serious problem, but it does not cause death to the infected plant.
Dieback, a fungus, usually enters the plant through a wound caused by leaf scars, hail injury, lawn mower wounds, pruning cuts, falling branches, and insect damage. It can be spread by insects or splashing rain or water.

Dieback is characterized by sudden wilting of new growth, particularly in early summer. The leaves characteristically cling to the branches for a considerable length of time after they die.
The best control is sanitation. Diseased branches should be removed about six inches below the lowest visible symptom of the disease, then burned. Spraying of plants with a liquid fungicide such as Halt in the spring during the normal leaf-fall period will help prevent spread of the fungus.
Root Rot is caused by a fungus found in the soil, which may be found occurring there naturally or have been brought in on the roots of camellias, rhododendrons, and other woody ornamentals. Most Camellia japonica varieties are susceptible to root rot, while C sasanqua and C oleifera are not.

Root rot is usually associated with poorly aerated or poorly drained soils. Symptoms may appear at any time, but they often show up during periods of hot, dry weather. The first sign of this disease is the stopping of growth either with or without yellowing. In more advanced stages the leaves on one or more branches become gray-green, wilt, and finally die. If the roots are examined they are brown with rot.

One method of control is to use vigorous, fast-growing varieties. Another is to use the fungicide metalaxyl (Subdue) as a soil treatment. This is expensive and may not completely rid the soil of the fungus. This product can be specially ordered at any of our locations. Most important is to improve soil drainage.

Camellia Flower Blight is another fungus disease that occurs only on the flower and does not damage the rest of the plant. Warm, humid weather following a cold spell can cause sporulation of the fungus and subsequent infection characterized by brown spots on the petals that usually enlarge until the entire blossom is blighted and the flower tissue feels slimy to the touch.
The infected flowers fall to the ground and produce hard bodies that can remain dormant until conditions are right for another cycle of life.

Control measures involve the removal and destruction of all fallen blossoms. The soil should be drenched with PCNB (Terraclor) in late December or January. This product can be specially ordered at any of our locations.

Other Diseases include leaf gall, sooty mold, nematodes, and virus variegation. None of these are usually very serious. Camellias are generally healthy.

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Camellias have been known for centuries in the Orient. Camellia sinensis, the “common tea plant,” was used as a beverage by the Chinese as early as 500 BC, however legend has it that tea was discovered over 2000 years earlier. The use of camellias as ornamental plants does not appear until much later in history. The first appearance of camellias in Western literature was a description and drawing of Camellia japonica in 1702 by James Petiver, an apothecary with an interest in natural history.

The exact date when camellias were brought to Europe from the Orient is unknown. There is a claim that the camellia first came to Portugal in the first half of the 16th century; however, the earliest documented evidence shows camellias in Portugal in 1808. It has also been documented that two camellias ‘Alba Plena’ and ‘Variegata’ were brought to England in 1792 by Captain Connor of the East India Company. The first camellia species to enter the U.S. was a tea plant. Early attempts to grow tea plants in the American Southeast were failures.
After Camellia japonica was successfully imported from England in 1797 or 1798, they became popular as greenhouse plants in the Northeast. In the early 1800s, the camellia collections of the South were begun, and in 1852 plants were shipped to Sacramento, named “Camellia City”
by the 1920s.

The pioneering botanist Carolus Linnaeus named Camellias to posthumously honor George Joseph Kamel, a Jesuit priest who died serving in the Philippines. Camellia interest waned in the U.S. after the Civil War, but revived after the turn of the century. Camellia shows became popular in the thirties. In 1945, the American Camellia Society was formed. It now numbers between four and five thousand members in 44 states and 22 foreign countries. Permanently headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia, it publishes quarterly journals and a yearbook that are respected around the world for information on camellia culture, research, new varieties, show dates, and reports.

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Last Updated: 8/15/2006
all contents ©2006 McDonald Garden Nurseries.