Cool Charm Camellias.

Winter-flowering camellias offer beauty and abundant blooms when all around is bare. They’re also incredibly versatile, writes Helen Young.

BLOOMING BOUNTY

The large group of camellias that flower throughout winter are the japonicas ( Camellia japonica). It’s easy to tell them from the other main group, sasanquas ( Camellia sasanqua), because sasanquas bloom through autumn and have smaller leaves. Sasanqua flowers are profuse but no good for picking because the petals fall; on the upside, they create a pretty carpet on the ground. Japonica camellias become the stars as sasanquas finish, bearing large flowers on rounded bushes with large, oval, glossy leaves that are beloved as filler foliage by florists. The beautiful flowers last well when displayed in a vase or floated in a shallow bowl. Japonicas prefer shade or part-shade, making them very useful in difficult positions where other sun-loving flowering shrubs won’t thrive. Mature plants can produce hundreds of flowers continuously for up to four months.

With thousands of cultivars worldwide, there’s a dazzling choice of flower form and colour, from pure white through every shade of pink to rich crimsons and blood reds.

Some are two-toned, even delicately striped and marbled; some are frilled while others elegantly simple. As a general rule, the darker the flower colour, the more sun the plant can tolerate. White and pale coloured varieties should not be planted facing east, because the petals can turn brown as the sun’s rays hit the morning dew.

CAMELLIA CARE

Camellias grow anywhere from the subtropics to quite cold areas, but are happiest with some summer rain and humidity. While the plants can take mild frost, the flowers can’t. If you’re on the coast, protect plants from strong, salty winds. Good drainage is essential. The ideal soil is humus-rich, slightly acidic, with plenty of leaf mould or compost. Camellias’ shallow roots benefit from mulching; water stress can cause developing buds to drop. Their naturally bushy, rounded shape means pruning is not really necessary, but you can shape them after flowering to reduce their size. Overgrown plants can be cut back in spring to bring them back to manageable size. Happily, there are few pests and diseases that trouble camellias. Tea mite causes a bronze strip down the middle of the leaves that resembles sunburn – spray the undersides with Natrasoap, and treat any scale insects with Pest Oil or Eco-Oil. Apply an organicbased fertiliser in spring and autumn. #

Go to www.camelliagrove.com.au or www. camelliasrus.com.au for more information.