Camellia Flower – Adorn Your Gardens with Tiny Colorful Blossoms

Camellias are late blooming evergreen plants that will fill your garden with bursts of white, red, yellow and pink when in full bloom. These plants are extremely easy to grow and can even be planted in containers or pots.

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Camellia Flower - Colorful Evergreen Blossoms

Native to South East Asia, camellias are similar to roses in appearance, but the camellia flower has round overlapping petals with an yellow center, unlike those of a rose. Camellias are woody evergreen plants with glossy leaves and can grow up to 6 feet at times. The flowers can be as large as five inches in diameter at times and are single, semi-double or double layered. Camellias are one of the world's oldest garden flowers, dating as far back as the 18th Century England. There are several varieties of the camellia flower, some of them being Pink Perfection with its double pink flowers, the Yuletide that blooms around Christmas and boasts of beautiful red flowers, the cold tolerant hardy Polar Ice with their crisp pure white flowers, the Chansonette with its bright pink blossoms, etc. Eventually it's your choice whether to choose the winter varieties or the others.

Camellia Plant - Steady Growth Care

Producing beautiful blossoms throughout the year, the camellia plant was originally imported from Japan and earns the common nickname of Japanese Rose. There are over 3000 cultivars and hybrid varieties of camellia, two of the most popular being Camellia sasanqua which is a winter variety and Camellia sinensis, that's the famous tea plant. Camellias like soil that's slightly acidic with a pH of around 6. It also likes a well drained, moist soil, but not too wet as this often causes root rot killing the plant. But they do not handle dry conditions well either. So you must be very careful while watering your camellia plant. Lay a bed of organic mulch as this helps to drain out excess moisture. They also like a bit of shade and are susceptible to excess heat or cold. Most new plants are planted using root cuttings and these must be sown quite deep in the soil. Also important is pruning the plant over winter and before new blossoms sprout. You must make sure to keep the plant protected from pests like spiders, mites, grasshoppers, aphids and beetles and also from diseases.

Camellia Bush - Tea Leaves

A member of the Asian family, the camellia bush is noted for its leaves out of which a wonderful flavored tea is made. Both Camellia japonica and Camellia sinensis are bushy varieties, but the sinensis is known for its special tea oil. This sweet oil is extracted from the seeds and used for seasoning or cooking in traditional Japanese homes. Like other variants, the bushes will also grow quite tall, but spread to around 10 feet, and once planted, hardly require a lot of care. Once the shrub has established some growth, stop watering it regularly, except on the hot and dry days. Water deep into the soil, this will help the roots to retain water for a period of time. Fertilize the plant and spread mulch as you would do with the other camellias. The bushes are beautiful when in full bloom and form amazing border plants for your garden and landscape.