Camellias

Camellias are in flower. Yay!  

For me there’s no better flower to signify the coming of spring, well apart from snowdrops, crocus, daffodils and pussy willows. We’ll have the Hawthorne hedgerows with us in no time.  Maybe I am getting a bit ahead of myself there but there are so many plants that are producing colour at this early time of year if we take a bit of time to look around. For now though it’s the camellia attracting my attention as there’s one I walk past every day.

Camellia

In temperate regions like ours, gardeners have embraced the camellia as a favourite hardy evergreen shrub. If space permits, they can be grown to full size but will also be happy in a small garden or even a container. 

The camellia is a long-lived shrub, so could be something that you choose to put in the ground for your grandchildren as you might plant a cedar or an oak. However, even as young plants camellias have huge appeal and will produce ravishing blooms on the smallest specimens. My mother in law had one that was just a twig in the ground but still had a bouquet of flowers on it.

Camellias suit today’s much smaller gardens. Their elegant glossy, evergreen leaves look good throughout the year. They are happy and will still bloom in shade: often a challenge in small gardens. In fact, early morning shade is important to prevent the sun’s rays from destroying frozen flowerbuds.

If you have acid soil and semi-shade they could grow in the open ground. No special treatment is required, just keep an eye on the watering so they don’t dry out in summer. Like most ericaceous subjects, camellias are light feeders and require only a light annual application of a lime free ericaceous fertiliser to keep them in peak condition.

Camellia Growing Tips

There are a few types to choose from. Camellia sasanqua flower during late autumn, through winter. Camellia japonica and Camellia × willamsii flower from early spring.

Grow in pots

If you don’t have suitable soil, try growing the plant in a large pot.

Pruning and training

Camellias don’t need to be pruned regularly but, if they outgrow the allotted space you can trim them into shape after flowering. Hard pruning is best carried out in March, but it will be a couple of years or more before they flower well again.

Deadheading

Deadhead your camellias when the flowers begin to fade.  This keeps the plant looking fresh as spent flowers will turn brown and can look unsightly. However, it doesn't significantly improve the flowering for the next spring, so it's something you can do if you have time.

Winter protection

If you are growing Camellia sasanqua in a container this will need some winter protection in most parts of the peninsula.  Likewise, if you are growing Camellia japonica and Camellia × willamsii cultivars they may need protection. Move the container nearer to the house or to a sheltered corner. Wrap camellias with horticultural fleece. Alternatively, move potted camellias into cold a greenhouse or cool conservatories in spells of freezing weather. The ones near me never get any protection and they have survived years, but they are planted into the ground and not a pot which will make all of the difference.

Propagating

You can propagate camellias from semi-ripe cuttings, hardwood cuttings, layering and grafting.

Take semi-ripe cuttings from mid to late summer; they often root better if slightly wounded by taking a 1.5cm (⅝in) strip of bark off the base of the cutting.

Take hardwood cuttings in the same way as semi-ripe cuttings, but between autumn and late winter. They can root in just three months.