Camellia (kah-mel’-i-ah) – Evergreen shrubs and trees, a native of China and Japan, belonging to the Tea family, Theaceae.
They are prized for their handsome glossy-green leaves, showy, single, semi-double and double flowers, adapted for outdoor cultivation in the milder parts of the United States.
The Latin name, Camellia, honors the Moravian Jesuit missionary and botanist George Joseph Kamel.
April is one of the most beautiful and busiest months in the entire calendar of Western gardening operations. It is time to look ahead to summer and begin visualizing your garden as you want it to look. For instance, you will want to ensure that there will be no ugly bare spots in the border. … Read more
Though Chilly and damp weather prevails in most of the West in many places the weather brings suspense and surprise to the garden. For example, in the favored spots such as west of the Cascades winter and spring weather are in a delicate balance. In California and the Southwest there is already a mildness in … Read more
Fertilizing Trees And Shrubs In all parts of the South trees and shrubs should be fed now. A few gardeners remember to feed the shrubs. but most neglect the trees. Fertilizer that is applied now, when most species are developing leaf buds, is taken up immediately. When applied in the fall or early winter, much … Read more
Camellias Varieties that bloom at midseason may be selected and planted as the first flowers open and the full crop enjoyed in the garden. Some of the best of the midseason camellias include such old favorites as Alba Plena, Pink Perfection, and Ville de Nantes. Late-flowering varieties may be planted now for the full benefit … Read more
For more than a century the camellia has been held in high regard as a magnificent evergreen shrub and a cut flower. Soon after its introduction to this country (about 1820) from Asia via Europe, it became the pampered pet of northern greenhouses and the aristocrat of southern gardens. A little later, western homesteaders found … Read more
Editors Note: This article was first published in 1961 but does give us some history of growing Camellias. The fame of camellias in the deep South and along the Gulf Coast has been worldwide for more than a hundred years. The magnificent old plants at Magnolia, Middleton and other long-established gardens in very mild regions were, … Read more
Most successful camellias are found growing on slightly acid soils, and the drainage must be good. Such soils are usually sandy, well-drained, and well aerated. Drainage and soil aeration for Camellias are equally as important as soil acidity, if not more so. Yet so much emphasis has been given to the need for acidity that … Read more
Camellia growers seldom get into trouble from using organic soil amendments such as peat, well-rotted sawdust, or bagasse. Frequently it is desirable to supplement these organics with mineral fertilizer or to add other organics such as cottonseed meal. A mixture that has worked well on neutral to slightly alkaline soils is made up of: 5 … Read more
The Camellia long ago (75 years) was only a “southern landscape plant.” But, then, incredulous as it may seem, camellias moved North! True, they may not have reached Minnesota or Maine. Still, as far North as New York City and vicinity, they have been successfully grown outdoors by a few ardent enthusiasts with a zest … Read more
In New Orleans, before 1930, camellias could not be grown satisfactorily. Only a few miles away, to the east, north, and west, however, they flourished with little or no care. This seemingly paradoxical situation set off many an inquiry into these beautiful plants’ cultural requirements. Camellias, that is to say, now flourish in New Orleans … Read more