Camellia Japonica - The Rose of Winter

The Japanese Camellia is one of the best known species of the Theaceae family, or Tea family. Camellia Sinensis is the plant that Tea comes from, but do not run out into your garden and gather your Camellia leaves for tea, this is just a slightly different plant.

This is a flowering shrub or small tree native to China, Korea and Japan. It is also the official state flower of Alabama.



In its natural habitats the wild plant will grow 20' - 30' tall and usually has red flowers 2" - 3" in diameter.

There are now over 2000 hybrids and cultivars with flower color ranging from white, pink, red and some rare varieties with yellow. Camellia Japonica "Alba Plena" is one of the most beautiful and once prized of all the Camellias. It was brought to England from China in 1792 by the East India trading company. The flowers are pure white and 3" - 4" across. It blooms earlier than most camellias, in early winter and spring, and can flower 4 to 5 months.

These Roses of winter should be planted in shade. They require an acidic, well drained soil. In our clay soils of the metroplex that means plant them like Azaleas, preferably in a raised bed with alternating layers of sand and sphagnum peat moss and some gravel at the bottom.