Evergreen Camellias for Winter Flowers

 

 

The first Camellia shrub usually chooses a stretch of damp, cool October days to burst into bloom.  I am always taken by surprise when its luminous white, spring-like blossoms unfold, because they look rather out of place beside the colorful leaves falling from nearby trees.

Bright flowers in shades of white, pink, and red open on our evergreen Camellia shrubs each October and November while the rest of the garden fades, and as we begin preparing for winter’s cold.  You may have noticed delicate Camellia flowers blooming in October through April in our area, and wondered about these beautiful rose-like flowers that thrive despite the wintery weather.

 

 

Out of Asia and Into the Western World

Ornamental Camellias grow wild on the mountainsides of China, Japan, Korea, and much of Southeast Asia.  They have been cultivated around Shinto shrines, grave sites, and Buddhist monasteries since at least 600 CE. But of the approximately 200 Camellia species in Asia, C. sinensis is the most important commercially, though its flowers are very simple.  Tea became important in Chinese culture around 2700 BC, and in Japan soon after.  C. sinensis var. sinensis is used as unfermented green tea, particularly in Japan.  C. sinensis var. assamica, and its hybrids, account for most of the black tea enjoyed today.

The Dutch brought the first processed tea to Europe sometime in the 17^th century, perhaps as early as 1610.  Tea reached England around 1650.  When the traders of that era tried to export tea plants from China, the Chinese gave them living plants of C. japonica rather than the more valuable C. sinensis.  Tea became so popular among the aristocracy that great efforts were made to obtain the plants and start a tea-growing industry in Europe and later in America.

 

 

Stealing the Secrets of Tea

Numerous efforts to grow C. sinensis in 18^th century South Carolina and Georgia were unsuccessful. Growing the plants successfully and at scale was only one part of the challenge.  Skilled workers were also required to care for the shrubs, harvest the tea, and then process the leaves into a commercial product.  A tea plantation was finally established near Charleston by around 1813, and efforts continue into the 21^st century on Wadmalaw Island, off of the South Carolina coast.  C. sinensis, hardy in Zones 6-9, will grow in the Williamsburg area.  Unlike its more ornamental relations, it will tolerate heat, drought, and it grows well in full sun.

Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist, visited China in the 1840s in search of tea plants and seeds.  He disguised himself as a Chinese merchant so he could travel in areas forbidden to foreigners, and purchase the tea plants, something forbidden by the Chinese government. He successfully sent 20,000 tea plants and some Chinese tea makers to India in 1848, where a tea industry was established on behalf of the British East India Tea Company.  When he returned in 1853 and 1856 for the American government, the Chinese sold him seeds for C. japonica and C. sasanqua, rather than seeds for the tea plants he sought.  By the time of the Civil War, Americans were no longer trying to start tea plantations.  India remains the leading producer of tea into modern times.

 

 

When the first Camellia japonica plants were brought to Europe and North America from Asia, they were cultivated in glass houses to protect them from winter temperatures, ice and snow.  Eventually, gardeners began to experiment with growing them out of doors in the garden and learned that we can grow Camellias successfully in Zone 7-9, without any special winter protection.  Providing a sheltered spot, mulch, or wrapping them against winter winds allows gardeners to grow them successfully in even colder climates.

 

A Native Cousin

Around this same time, American botanist John Bartram found the closest American cousin of the Camellia, Franklinia alatamaha, growing along the Altamaha River in Georgia in 1765.  Another genus of the Theaceae or tea family, it grows into a small, deciduous flowering tree to 25′ tall and 15′ wide.  Hardy in Zones 5-8, it prefers moist, acidic soil, full to partial sun, and blooms with sweetly scented white flowers in late summer to early fall.  It is still available commercially as clones of plants grown from seeds collected by Bartram, but was last observed growing in the wild in 1803.

 

Ornamental Camellias

Ornamental Camellias were important to religious observances in their native lands, perhaps because of their shining, evergreen leaves. The Japanese believed that spirits, or ‘Kami,’ lived within their flowers when they visited Earth.  C. Japonica grows to 30’ wild on Japanese hill sides, but most modern varieties in commercial trade in the US usually grow to around 13’ tall, if left unpruned.  C. Japonica blooms in shades of yellow, gold, white, pink, red, and variegated combinations of colors in late January through March or early April, in our area.

 

 

The first C. japonica plant reached America in the late 18^th century. Camellia plants and seeds were imported after the Revolutionary War and became popular greenhouse plants in the Northeast.  Annual Camellia shows began in 1829 in Boston.  Philadelphia was also a center of Camellia culture, although all of the plants were grown in tubs in greenhouses.  Cut Camellia flowers were important to the florist industry of that era.

Later, Camellias became popular garden plants for shady areas in the Southeastern states, where they want a protected shady spot with moist, acidic soil.  Intensive breeding and hybridization has resulted in hundreds of cultivars, many with fully double flowers that resemble roses or carnations.

 

 

Autumn blooming Camellia sasanquas are hardy in Zones 6b-9 and perform particularly well in coastal climates of the American Southeast. They will tolerate full to partial sun but grow best under the dappled shade of larger trees, especially under mature pines.  They prefer acidic soil.  Pine needles make a perfect mulch.  Sasanquas and are more sun and drought tolerant than C. japonica varieties, and  Sasanquas have slightly smaller blossoms and leaves than the japonicas.  They are also more likely to have single or semi-double flowers.

 

 

Camellias in the Landscape

Camellias may be used as specimen plants, as hedges, in mixed borders, or as large foundation shrubs.  Different cultivars will grow to different proportions, and many will grow into small trees when left unpruned.  Camellias may also be kept small and grown in containers, including as bonsai.  Maintaining a Camellia in a container requires careful pruning and care.  Many gardeners cut a few branches in bud for a winter vase, or float Camellia blossoms in a bowl.

Camellias are somewhat slow to establish and may not bloom for two or three years after planting out.  They need excellent drainage, and may develop root rot and other fungal diseases if their roots sit in heavy, wet soil without enough drainage and air circulation.  At planting time, dig the planting hole significantly wider (but not deeper) than the root ball.  Break up any heavy clay to allow the roots to expand.  Rough up the sides of the root ball a little to encourage roots to grow out into the surrounding soil.  Loosen or prune any roots growing in a circle around the inside of the pot.  Plant the new shrub at the same depth (no deeper) than it was growing in its nursery pot and then mulch with 2″-4″ of wood mulch or pine tags, taking care to keep the mulch about 2″ away from the shrub’s woody stem.  Water the new shrub during dry spells for the first 12-18 months while its new roots get established in the native soil.

 

 

Caring for Camellias

Proper pruning helps maintain the health and beauty of Camellia shrubs, and can improve flowering.  By carefully removing branches here and there, you can open up the shrubs to greater light and air circulation.  This helps encourage blooming and protects from some fungal diseases that sometimes attack overgrown Camellias.  Good air circulation and care will prevent disease problems and insect damage is rare.

If a Camellias leaves begin to look yellow, or are yellow with green veins, this indicates that the soil is not acidic enough or that it is lacking in iron.  Improve the soil with a fertilizer blended for acid loving shrubs, like Espoma’s Holly Tone, and correct any iron deficit with iron chelates.  When in doubt, take a sample of the soil around the Camellia and bring it to the Extension Office to be sent off to Virginia Tech for testing.

 

 

Older Camellias, limbed up to show their trunks, are especially lovely when in bloom. Some cultivars will branch out into wide canopies over the years. This is another plant where it is important to read the label carefully when selecting a cultivar. Be mindful that the plant you select will have enough room in the spot you’ve chosen.  They are much more beautiful when allowed to grow into their potential with pruning to shape, but not to stunt their growth.

 

 

Never shear Camellias like a hedge.  Prune within a few weeks after they finish blooming to avoid cutting away the next season’s flower buds.  Aim to prune only enough to enhance the shrub’s beauty, or control its size, so the pruning isn’t obvious.  Remove any dead or diseased branches and any non-flowering branches.  It is best to cut a branch all the way back to where it grows out of another branch.  Clipping a branch in the middle will stimulate more new growth from the nodes below your cut.

 

Camellias as Functional Garden Plants

Evergreen Camellias keep their glossy green leaves, adding structure and screening in the garden throughout the year.  They also filter carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air continuously, sequestering the carbon in their woody structure.   Pollinators appreciate this source of nectar when little else is in bloom, and birds find shelter in their branches.  Although many gardeners maintain mulch under them, Camellias will also perform well underplanted with evergreen ferns, Hellebores, Arum, evergreen ground cover vines, and spring flowering bulbs.  Underplanting with ground cover plants provides more habitat and food for wildlife than will mulch.  Hellebores and Narcissus will also provide their roots protection from hungry voles and may help keep deer at a distance.

 

 

Newly planted shrubs will need protection from deer for the first few years.  Deer may graze both leaves and flower buds, but the shrub will generally survive.  Use deer fencing, Milorganite, or repellent sprays to protect Camellias as they establish.  Since Milorganite is an organic nitrogen fertilizer, regular use will enhance the color and bloom of Camellia shrubs, while helping to keep deer away from them.

 

Propagation- Producing More of a Good Thing

Some, but not all, Camellias produce seeds which ripen in late summer and early fall.  Collect the seed pods, and after a day or two they will pop open revealing their large, woody seeds.  Pour boiling water over the seeds in a small dish and allow them to soak for several hours to speed germination.  Plant the seeds in small pots with good potting soil, and keep them watered while you wait for germination.  It may take some time.  Young plants will need protection in a cold frame or greenhouse for their first few years to protect them from squirrels and deer.  Camellias from seed will exhibit variations from the parent plant. Camellias may also be easily propagated from cuttings.  Plants grown from cuttings will be the same as the parent plant.

 

 

Many Camellia varieties are available each autumn at local nurseries, and more unusual varieties may be ordered from specialized nurseries.  Young plants may be grown in large containers for the first few years as they bulk up, before you plant them into a permanent spot in the garden.  This allows them to grow on in more protected areas while they are young.  You can choose from several different dimensions, colors, and flower forms to select a cultivar that will meet your needs for mature shape and size.

 

 

Varieties like C. ‘Yuletide’ and C. ‘Jingle Bells are especially prized for their red flowers each December.  Bees and late butterflies will be thrilled to find them when there is little other nectar available.  Although Camellia flowers may turn brown during a cold snap, but buds will continue to open over 4-8 weeks, even during wintery weather.  By late winter, the first C. japonica varieties will begin to bloom.

 

Learning by Enjoying

One of the largest collections of Camellias in the Southeast grows at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.  They have over 1100 different types of Camellias, including C. sinensis, growing throughout the garden.  Camellia species rarely found commercially or in private gardens grow at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, along with a wide variety of hybrids and cultivars.  Their collection includes species with specific and unusual qualities, imported directly from Asia to the garden, that can now be used in breeding new hybrids of the more common C. japonica, C. sasanqua, and C. reticulata, which is hardy in Zones 8-10.  The Norfolk Botanical Garden is designated as an International Garden of Excellence by the International Camellia Society and is a destination Camellia garden on the American Camellia Trail.

Plant Camellia shrubs with confidence that you are making a good investment.  They will reward you with lovely evergreen foliage and beautiful flowers, when little else will bloom, for many decades to come.

 

 

All photos by Elizabeth McCoy, Master Gardener Tree Steward

 

For More Information:

Ackerman, William L. Beyond the Camellia Belt: Breeding, Propagating, and Growing Cold-Hardy Camellias. Ball Publishing. 2007.

Arthur, Brie. “Heritage Camellias, A Growing History.” Triangle Gardener.  November 2023.

Doubrava, Nancy, Janet McLeod Scott, James H. Blake, Clyde S. Gorsuch, revised by Joey Williamson. “Camellia Diseases & Insect Pests” factsheet. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center. February 2021.

“History of Camellias.”  American Camellia Society.  November 2023.

Wulf, Andrea.  The Brother Gardeners- Botany, Empire and the Birth of An Obsession.  Vintage Books. 2008.