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FEBRUARY 2025

kclowen

For this month's Diary post I want to focus on Camellias. In much of the British Isles many Camellias will begin to emerge through the month of February. If you're lucky some may have flowered since the autumn, and others will continue flowering into middle/late spring.

The plants can be shaped into more structural forms, the foliage can act as a useful dark background to other flowers, and as a winter evergreen. But in all honesty I suspect most people have them in their gardens for the bright, blousy and structural flowers.


The various Camellia species originate from south-east Asia, overwhelmingly from China, and two Chinese species provide important food stuffs. Camellia oil is derived from the seeds of Camellia oleifera and is one of the clearest, palest vegetable oils thought to provide health benefits and boost the immune system. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis is a worldwide industry, and was the first of the Camellias to be encountered in Europe as it is the tea plant. Consumed for its health benefits for about 2500 years it was only in the seventeenth century that it was brought to Europe by the Dutch. Eventually at the start of the eighteenth century Camellias began to be cultivated in Europe purely for the beauty of the plants.


There are a large number of Camellia species, some quite unusual such as Camellia parvilimba, which looks like a privet or cotoneaster, Camellia yunnanensis with its distinctive cinnamon-coloured bark, or Camellia lutchuensis whose cultivars often have bright pink/reddish young foliage.


Most of the Camellia plants found in the British Isles are likely to be cultivars of Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Camellia reticulata or Camellia x williamsii as these can withstand our cooler and wetter conditions. When first brought to Europe all Camellias were thought to be tender and many were grown under glass. Indeed the plant growing at Pillnitz Caste near Dresden, thought to be Europe's oldest Camellia has its own house built around it to keep away the worst of the weather.

In the United States on the eastern coast, where it gets much colder, hybridisation has been done between various cultivars and Camellia oleifera, which has proven hardiness. This has resulted in a series of cold hardy hybrids, particularly useful in very low temperatures often to -20/25 degrees C.

In general many Camellias will adapt to a range of climactic situations but flower well when in humid and warmer conditions. For this reason they are best sited facing west so that the flowers may have the longest and warmest amount of sunlight in winter, and ideally a little shelter from the colder northern and eastern winds.

Camellias will tolerate a neutral soil pH, but will thrive in a more acid soil, ideally pH 5.5-6.5. Anything above or below this and the plants will experience nutrient deficiencies, often shown as poor growth and discoloured leaves. As we have a neutral pH at Blackbrook this is something we have to adjust for.


There is a lot of variety in the flowers of the different cultivars so it's worth taking the time to find which one suits you. In colour they range from very pure white forms to some very dark almost plum coloured ones, with some yellows and pinks in between. Some have very simple forms, especially within Camellia sasanqua cultivars, whereas other flowers can be elaborately textured or have an almost artificial looking geometry to them.

Though not widely known for their scent, more cultivars are being bred that have scented flowers. Look for hybrids that have Camellia sasanqua, Camellia lutchuensis or Camellia transnokoensis as a parent, and the offspring should carry scent.

It can always be a little sad should the flowers be browned by the rain or cold, and if it's a perpetual problem then it might be sensible to find a more sheltered spot for the plant. In the British climate the Williamsii hybrids and cultivars are a reliable choice, and tend to drop any damaged flowers cleanly as one whole piece.


Camellias like many other shrubs can be shaped into hedges, fans, espaliers, standards, and Bonsai forms. With regular feeds many will grow in containers, and some can even be grown in hanging baskets for 2-3 years. By observing the growing habit of the plant, trailing, upright, bushy, etc, you can determine the best type of setting for each plant.


Camellias are a surprisingly versatile genus of plants that will fit many situations. They give wonderful brightness to any garden at this time of year, and are worth including in your planting design.





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Blackbrook Estate

Norton Skenfrith

Monmouthshire

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