Tips For Growing Camellias

The Camellia, or the rose of winter, is the most recognizable species of camellia and is a native flowering shrub of Japan, Korea and China. These evergreen shrubs are grown for their dark green glossy foliage and abundance of huge deep pink-red large flowers in early spring. They look great in the border, perform well in pots and are extremely handy to have in the garden as they are tolerant of shade. They will flower around April and be covered in beautiful deep pink/red blooms for up to 4 weeks adding great early color to your garden.

Camellia japonica is related to one of the most important plants in the world, Camellia or the tea bush. Unlike the Japanese Camellia the tea bush is not a common garden variety mainly because it has insignificant white flowers. Tea was probably used as a medicine up until the Zhou Dynasty and more recently extensive studies have focused on these medicinal properties with some interesting findings. Tea could possess anti-carcinogenic properties and help prevent cardiovascular diseases plus it's also been proven to aid the immune system and the microfloral inhabitants of the intestine. So next time you're having a 'cuppa' you can enjoy the health benefits as well as the delicious taste.

Growing Camellia

Site & Soil: The natural habitat for camellias is woodland so bearing this in mind they enjoy a sheltered environment with dappled shade even though with a little more care they will be perfectly happy in full sun. You should condition the soil with lots of organic matter such as leaf mould to improve drainage. Preferably your soil needs to be ericaceous however they will tolerate neutral soil but if your soil is alkaline then think about growing in a container with ericaceous compost.

Watering and Feeding: Camellias are calcifuges plants meaning they will not tolerate alkaline conditions. Tap water in many areas around the UK is too hard for camellias and will reduce the acidity around the roots over time so instead use rain water collected in water butts. Do not over feed camellias. You can apply a balanced fertiliser in mid-spring and then again in summer if required.

Pruning: Very little pruning is necessary for Camellias. Having said this they will tolerate hard pruning. In May prune to regain symmetry and remember to remove flowers as they die.