A look at camellias

This week, we take a brief look at a really nice evergreen shrub that thrives here in our Southern gardens and landscapes-the camellia.

Camellias (Camellia spp.) are evergreen shrubs that produce lovely white, pink, rose, red, purple or bicolored flowers. Camellias are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 10, depending on the species and cultivar. Camellias are grown in full sun to part shade. While there are more than 260 species in the Camellia genus, the best known in the U.S. are two ornamental species, Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua, and their many cultivars.

While the Japanese (Camellia japonica) and sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua) camellias are very similar, the main difference between the two species is their bloom time. Japanese camellias may bloom between fall and spring, depending on the cultivar. Sasanquas can begin blooming anytime between summer through winter, usually between September and December. Though sasanquas tolerate more sun than the Japanese camellias, they are less cold hardy, preferring USDA zones 7 through 9.

In addition to their differences in bloom times, both the flowers and leaves on Japanese camellias are larger than those on sasanquas. The flowers on sasanquas are fragrant, while those on Japanese camellias are not-again, depending on the cultivar. There are other subtle differences between the two species and their cultivars, including the sasanqua’s salt tolerance, but in general these camellias are much more alike than different.

While the Japanese camellia is considered an icon in Southern gardens with its large flowers that bloom during winter months, sasanqua camellias are far more flexible; they tolerate more sun, have varieties that are smaller in height, and flower throughout the fall instead of winter in a wonderful range of colors.

In choosing a site for a camellia, select a wind-sheltered, well-drained location that receives morning sun and dappled shade in the afternoon. In the coldest zones in its range, plant on the south side of the house or a wall. Camellias prefer a moist acidic soil, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Remember to allow enough room around the shrub; camellias grow eight to 12 feet tall and equally wide when mature.

Dig a planting hole two to three times the width of the root ball. Plant your camellia at the same level as it was in the grower’s pot. Backfill with the excavated soil and water thoroughly. Add a four-inch layer of mulch over the bare soil, beginning three to four inches from the trunk and raked out to the drip line.

After your camellia becomes established, water it when the soil is dry to the touch. Use a soaker hose, hose-end bubbler or drip-watering system to avoid wetting the foliage, which encourages fungal diseases. Fertilize monthly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer formulated for camellias and other acid-loving shrubs.

Petal blight may affect the flowers, with the blossoms turning brown from the edges to the center. Remove the flowers and stems immediately. Also remove any fallen flowers and the mulch under the shrub and put them in the trash. Add fresh mulch under the camellia.

Camellias need little or no pruning unless affected by disease or broken or dead branches. If you need to shape your camellia, wait until after it blooms. Avoid pruning later in the summer so you don’t affect next year’s developing flower buds. Sterilize your cutting tools between cuts by dipping the blades in Lysol or Pine-Sol.

You can also grow dwarf camellias in containers. Camellias don’t like changes in their environment, so you risk dropping buds if you move the plant outside for the summer and back indoors when winter is on the way. Place the container in a brightly lit location and away from air conditioning and heating vents. Keep the soil evenly moist and use a liquid fertilizer diluted to a half-strength solution monthly.

Among the dwarf varieties are “October Magic Rose,” which features salmon-pink double flowers; “October Magic Orchid” with white to pink-blushed semi-double flowers; and ‘Green’s Blues,’ with double flowers that open as bright lavender-blue and mature to a purplish blue. All of these dwarf camellias are cultivars of Camellia sasanqua.

Enjoy your camellias this season!

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, and former Perry High School horticulture instructor. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Georgia Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478) 954-1507, timlewis1@windstream.net, and at LewisFarmsNursery.com.

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