Camellia garden
we now have about 17 Camellia bushes in our camellia garden, such as, Camellia Apple blossom, Camellia Cliford Park, Camellia Fragrant Pink, Camellia Freedom bell, our camellia garden such as Camellia Apple blossom, Cam,ellia Cliford Park, Camellia Fragrant Pink, Camellia Freedom Bell, Camellia Kinjo Tsubaki, Camellia midnight Magic, Camellia Lady Vansitaart, Camellia Princessa Clotilde, Camellia Rosalia de Castro, Camellia Sinensis, Camellia Tama No Ura, Camellia aswell as others grown from seed and from cuttings
Plant ID: Japanese Camellia (Camellia Japonica)
Genus: Camellia
Species: japonica
Family: THEACEAE
Common name: Japanese Camellia, Japonica Camellia, Tsubaki
Plant type: Evergreen
Origin: Japan, Korea, Western China
Camellia japonica and sasanqua.
A famous beloved plant and workhorse found in almost anyone's garden or the garden next-door. It's a handsome plant and maintains very manageable small tree and shrub shapes and sizes that can be aesthetically developed or introduced into almost any garden or property. In fact, this definitely may be an overused plant, often forced into Australian locations and growing conditions that are less than ideal. There are thousands of cultivated varieties.
Here in Australia our many hot and dry conditions certainly stress the plant or at least make it susceptible to leaf burn, scale and dried-out roots. Also can easily develop rootrot in poorly drained soils. Sydney is loaded with Camellia, having many bay-like areas and waterfronts with some temperate seasons mixed with the hot and dry times.
Camellias can reach a decent size over time, although it usually comes with great age. They can have heaps of branches and develop a relatively thick, stout trunk or a trunk with length, smooth, grey. They will have branching from the ground-up but can be trained to distinguish a trunk leading to a crown. Can be trained into hedges, bushes and bonsai. They will usually have a single trunk but some can develop multiple leaders. Some will have such short trunks that the branching behaves similar to multiple leaders.
Camellias have shallow roots and thrive in moist, slightly acidic soil. Avoid hot, dry winds. Can be susceptible to Phytophthora rootrot in poorly drained soils.
Two abundant species to mention are the Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua , both of which share most features with some size differences. Both are generally slow growing.
Habit:
Camellia japonica, the most popular, tends to be larger, can reach around 10m height in natural habitat, mostly will find around 5m height x 4m width, conical, more compact crown with dense ascending branches.
leaves:
Tend to be larger, 150mm length x 60mm width, alternate, ovate to elliptic, leathery, shiny/glossy, usually serrate margin, shiny dark green, discolourous.
Flowers:
Has large distinctive buds. Larger flowers than sasanqua, found in the upper leaf axis of 1-year old shoots, rotate, solitary or in small clusters, ranging in white, pink, red and bicolour.
When the flowers fall off the plant they characteristically remain whole/intact on the ground. Major blooms from autumn to early spring.
Fruit:
A woody, globe-shaped capsule that splits open when ripe to release large, angular brownish seeds.
Camellia sasanqua.
Habit:
Tends to be smaller, generally maxing at 5-8m height x 5m width and naturally has a more open habit. Enjoys more sun than japonica.
Leaves:
Tend to be smaller, 80mm length x 50mm width.
Flowers:
Smaller. Major blooms from mid-summer to mid-winter.
The flowers characteristically fall apart/break into little pieces when they fall to the ground.