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Camellias' flowers, foliage capture attention

April 11, 2008 12:16 am

OF ALL THE spring- flowering plants now in blossom, camellias have really captured my attention. I think they've been much more noticeable in our area this year, maybe because they are gaining local popularity.

Camellias are easily recognized by their round, rose-like flowers and smooth, waxy green leaves.

Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) is prevalent locally. Its leaves are 2 to 4 inches long and are deep green. It forms a dense pyramidal shape that serves as an anchor in the landscape with its evergreen foliage. When in flower it becomes a focal point, with its foliage providing a perfect backdrop to the white, red or pink flowers. The flowers, 3 to 5 inches in diameter, may be single, semidouble or double.

Different varieties will flower at various times between September and April, with many at their showiest in recent weeks. For our area, it's wise to select varieties known for their cold hardiness, since we're on the northern edge of the Japanese camellia's hardiness zone.

Japanese camellia can grow as tall as 25 feet but is more commonly 6-12 feet tall, spreading 6-10 feet.

In addition to its use as a focal point in the landscape, it also can serve as a shrub border or screen.

Camellias need well-drained, acid soil with a lot of organic matter. A partially shaded site is preferred by most. They are slow growers and are slow to get established after planting. Because of their shallow roots, they don't compete well with other plants for water during establishment. Be careful not to plant them too deep, and don't plant them where they'll be competing for water. As with most shrubs, they can be planted in the fall or spring if planted properly, mulched 2-3 inches deep and watered in the absence of rainfall.

Once established in preferred conditions, camellias don't require a lot of care unless insects such as scale become prevalent.

There are several sites that I drive past daily where camellias grow in situations where they never get much care but still thrive and flower abundantly. These plants are well sited and have been in their locations for more than 10 years. Camellias prefer a site sheltered from full sun and drying winds. Winter injury can be severe in years with lots of wind and limited rainfall.

Camellias don't need a lot of pruning. Removal of damaged branches and long shoots that detract from the attractive form of the shrub are about the extent of pruning.

There are other species of camellia besides Japanese camellia, including tea-oil (C. oleifera), Sasanqua (C. sasanqua) and tea (C. sinensis), as well as hybrids. Tea-oil camellia is one of the cold hardiest, but isn't well known for landscape use. Sasanqua is better-known, but is considered less cold hardy than Japanese camellia. Sasanqua camellias are generally smaller, 6-10 feet tall, with a more refined appearance than Japanese types. The leaves and flowers are also smaller. The plant forms a pyramidal to oval shape and flowers in the fall.

Tea camellia grows 4-6 feet tall and wide, making it one of the smallest. It is adapted to shade, tolerating more shade than the other species, but also tolerates sun. Its dried leaves are the source of green tea. Dr. Michael Dirr in his Manual for Woody Landscape Trees and Shrubs notes it as hardy in zones 6-9, though other references note hardiness to zone 8. We are in zone 7.

Numerous camellia varieties and some hybrids have been developed over the years through extensive breeding programs. Some of this work has been done at the National Arboretum, just north of us in Washington. Dr. William Ackerman worked on breeding camellias, and developed several hybrids from Sasanqua and tea-oil parentage that are known for their cold hardiness. These are especially noted for their fall-blooming hardiness. Examples include 'Winter Rose,' 'Polar Ice,' 'Winter's Charm' and 'Winter's Hope.'

As with any plants, camellias can be affected by diseases and insects. Camellias are susceptible to root rot, but planting in well-drained soil high in organic matter will help prevent this. There's a disease that affects the flowers called camellia flower blight. It causes the flowers to brown along the edges and then spreads quickly over the whole flower. Other diseases include camellia dieback and canker, which cause affected branches to suddenly yellow and die.

Scale insects such as camellia scale and tea scale can be a concern. These are small insects that don't look much like insects at all. Scale feeds on plants by sucking sap, which weakens the plant over time. Applying horticultural oil will help in managing scale.

Proper growing conditions will limit camellia growing and pest problems. Good sanitation practices such as quickly removing diseased flowers and stems will help prevent diseases.

There are thousands of camellia varieties, so do a little research and make certain you get a cold hardy variety for our unpredictable spring weather. Then, if it is planted in the right site, you could have a gorgeous camellia for years to come.