UT Gardens' Plant of the Month:
Japanese Camellia

Submitted by Dr. Susan Hamilton


Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) is an evergreen shrub prized for its showy flowers in the South's winter landscape. Blooms can be as large as 5 inches across with yellow centers or full in the center with rounded overlapping petals, much like a rose.

More than 3,000 varieties, cultivars and hybrids of Camellia japonica are cultivated, and selections can vary from blooming in the winter to blooming in the spring. Plants are rated as being early flowering (prior to January 1st), mid-season flowering (January through February) and late flowering (March or later).

Selections of the slow-growing shrub can also vary in size, growing to a height of 10 feet to 15 feet tall with a spread between 6 feet to 10 feet wide. A native of China, camellia is also valued for its glossy leaves that stay a deep, shiny green all year.

Camellia likes an acidic soil (a soil pH below 7.0) with plenty of moisture and benefits being fertilized in the spring. It thrives in a partial-shade location and makes a good foundation plant or background plant in the garden. It thrives best in Zones 7 - 9, but cold-hardy Zone 6 selections are available.

If needed, prune Camellia within two months after it has finished blooming. Blooms can range in color from white to various shades of pink and reds.

For more information, check out the International Camellia Society online at http://camellia-ics.org/ or the American Camellia Society at http://www.camellias-acs.com.

Susan Hamilton is an associate professor of plant sciences on the faculty of the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences. She is also director of the UT Gardens, which are a project of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. The original gardens are located in Knoxville on Neyland Drive. Additional gardens are located in Jackson on Airways Blvd. Admission is free, and the Gardens are open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours. More information is available online at http://utgardens.tennessee.edu

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Contact:

Patricia C. McDaniels, (865) 974-7141