Growing Camellias;

Some of my early flowering Camellias;

Camellia Sasanqua Setsugekka; This is a big bush covered in early autumn with papery. white flowers. It is the first to flower, generally early march and keeps on going until June. It grows from cuttings and sets also seeds.

Camellia japonica Laurie Bray is an early, vigorous, freely flowering bush. Always healthy looking. The flowers are a silvery pink. It flowers for many month.

Camellia japonica Hana-Fuki, was slow in the beginning. After 20 years it has grown to a open small tree with many flowers. The flowers look downwards. Disease free.

Camellia Sasanqua Egao; Early and vigorous, lots of blooms and disease free.

Camellia japonica Ballet Dancer; Absolutely gorgeous flowers, vigorous and disease free.

Camellia japonica Clarence Hearn; large anemone form blooms of deep rose red. This is a tall bush growing in deep shade, still flowers well. completely disease free.

Camellia japonica, Drama girl produces huge flowers in profusion. This is a must have Camellia.

It is one of the earliest to flower and the last to stop. The flowers are as big as C. reticulata flowers. Grows tall and well and no diseases.

This is an early, freely flowering bush, unfortunately I have lost its name.

The fallen flowers make a pretty carpet...

Sasanquas love to grow in the sun. Sasanqua Camellias are among the easiest of garden plants to grow. They flower heavily in Autumn and early Winter with a minimum of care. The glossy dark green leaves of all cultivar varieties always look good .There is a wide range of flower colours and forms available.. Flower colours range through a selection of whites, pinks and reds. A carpet of petals covers the ground below the bush when it is in flower.

The very cold and very dry areas are not suitable, otherwise they will grow mostly anywhere.

I have never noticed any diseases or attacks from insects on my C. Sasanqua. All Year round they look healthy and fresh. They can be pruned to shape or left to their natural growth habit. They grow from seed or from cuttings. From seed you might get a different hybrid.

Sasanqua Camellias are native to the Ryukyu Islands and the islands of Japan. In their native habitat, C. sasanquas grow from bushy plants to small upright spreading trees with some varieties almost vine-like. They do have great tolerance to sunny positions and different soil types. In nature they grow from creek gullies to sunny hillside locations. Generally cultivated C. sasanquas are garden hybrids.

It is an evergreen shrub growing to 5 m tall. The leaves are broad elliptic, 3-7 cm long and 1.2-3 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 5-7 cm diameter, with 5-8 white to dark pink petals.

Camellia japonica

The genus name, Camellia, honours the work of Georg Josef Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit botanist (1661-1716). The species name, japonica, is Latin meaning 'from Japan'. However, the plant also grows in the wild in Korea, China, Taiwan and other neighbouring islands.

C. japonica is a are gracefully looking evergreen. It grows to a large shrub or small tree, to around 5m (15') tall and 4m (12') wide in cultivation, but larger in its native habitat. The leaves are dark, glossy green with a paler reverse. The flowers, which range in colour from pure white to deep red, are produced from winter to spring. There are thousands of named cultivars and they vary in foliage and habit, as well as in flower size and form.

Camellias will grow in most areas apart from the hot tropics and inland. In areas with alkaline soils they may need to be grown in containers with potting mix for acid loving plants.

Japonicas prefer a slightly acid (pH 5.5-6.0), humus-rich soil with good drainage, and protection from direct sun and strong winds. Fertilize in spring with camellia and azalea food, and mulch with compost (such as composted autumn leaves) or milled cow manure. Keep well watered, particularly when it is hot and dry.

Once my plants were well established and mulched , growing in a shady position they did not need any additional watering in the hot and dry times. I think it depends on the soil how well it holds the moisture.

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To be ignorant of what happened before you were born... is to live the life of a child for ever." -- Marcus Tullius Cicero - - (106-43 B.C.) Roman Statesman, Philosopher and Orator