Discover Camellias
Camellias are one of the most popular spring-flowering shrubs, providing a vivid splash of colour when little else is in bloom.
Hailing from the misty woodlands of the Himalayas, Japan, and Indonesia, Camellias bring a touch of exotic elegance to UK gardens. With a rich diversity of species and hybrids, these plants paint the landscape with vibrant hues of pink, red, and white.
Ideal for lightly shaded UK gardens, they offer a choice of flowering periods from autumn into winter or late winter into early spring. The autumn/winter or ‘sasanqua’ varieties need more sun to set copious flower buds for the following year.
Choose single-flowered varieties for wildlife gardens, or explore the ornamental appeal of semi-double, anemone, peony, and formal double forms, perfect alongside oriental shrubs or conifers.
Camellias thrive in ericaceous (acidic) compost, making them perfect for containers, especially dwarf varieties for patios and paths. Use rainwater when possible, and feed with a slow-release acid-loving plant fertilizer from spring to early summer. Pruning is minimal, usually just shaping after flowering. Hard pruning, if needed, should be done in March, though it may delay flowering.
- Low maintenance plants
- Thrive in humus rich acid soils (ericaceous)
- Prefers a lightly shaded position
- Feed with an ericaceous fertiliser in spring
- Mulch and water in the summer