Camellia Japonica is My Favorite Plant...This Week.

I'm Joining Loree at Danger Garden in posting about a favorite plant of the week. Click here to see what's tickling other bloggers' fancy this week.

Plant nerds may look away in disgust but I can't help loving this shrub with glossy  evergreen leaves and happier-than-Doris-Day flowers.  After reading Barbara Wise's post, "The Importance of Being Ordinary" (here,) I'm inspired to celebrate the ordinary simple pleasures of the garden as well as the exciting, new, and unusual.

The earliest of my camellias begins blooming in February and if you throw in the Camellia sasanquas, there's sometimes camellia bloom from January through June. The earliest to flower is the towering elderly camellia (pictured last in this post) inherited with the garden.  It's visible from my kitchen window and is a sure sign that spring is on the way!  As its petals drop, the bed beneath has a pink petal mulch for several weeks. 

Stolen directly from The Missouri Botanical site is the following information:

 

In its native areas of China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan, the camellia flourishes in shaded or semi-shaded positions, and sheltered in cold climates. Well-draining neutral to acid soil is essential. This plant dislikes changes in temperature, irregular watering or being moved. Even a change in humidity can cause it to drop its buds.  Hardy in zones 7 - 9, they can be grown indoors in colder climates during the cold months and taken outside in the summer and fall.   Until the buds open, keep at a maximum temperature of 45°F; then it may be kept a little warmer. After flowering keep about 45° to 50°F. Buds appear in clusters. Removing all but one will increase the size of the flower. Camellias last many years and can be grown as a shrub or small tree. Repot if necessary after flowering. Grow in light shade. Water fairly freely using tepid water and provide good drainage. Fertilize monthly in spring and summer with special acid fertilizer.  Can you imagine going to all that trouble? 

Japanese camellia is best known for its lovely white, red, pink or variegated flowers, two to five inches across, blooming from fall to spring in warmer areas and in early spring in cooler areas. A compact growing habit, glossy green foliage and a showy profusion of bloom account for the wide popularity of this large, handsome, long-lived shrub.

 When grown indoors, watch for aphids, mealybugs, mites and scale. Yellow leaves with green veins may mean too little acidity in the soil. Some flower bud dropping may be natural, but some may be caused by overwatering, more by underwatering, especially during summer or periods of low humidity. Limit pruning to removing dead or damaged wood, unproductive branches, and disproportionately long shoots. Shearing spoils the naturally attractive shape of the camellia. Prune right after flowering or during early summer to stimulate branching. Pruning later in the year can remove flower buds.  I personally rely on the heavy snows we get every few years that snap the branches in half. 

For page after page of images of a wide variety of Camellias, check out Plant Lust here.

These can take heavy pruning and one frequently sees them trimmed into a variety of unfortunate shapes. 

They make a nice informal evergreen hedge as well!

With all of the information about how to grow these in colder climates, I should probably share the secret to success with them in this area.  1.  Dig a hole. 2. Throw the bush in. 3. Stand back and watch it grow and bloom. The end.

 It's best for me to stay away from nurseries when these are in bloom because they like to follow me home.

They also grow well in containers!

Last but not least is this pink camellia that is very common in the older parts of town.  This was inherited with the house and is nearly 20 feet tall.  Huge chunks get taken down by heavy snow every few years but the thing just keeps growing back.