Japanese camellia
Camellia japonica L.
Also called camellia.
Glossy evergreen shrub that blooms in winter and early spring, in red, pink, white and bicolours. A signature plant of southern shade gardens.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 2–4 m (7–13 ft) tall and 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft) wide; slow growth, about 10 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
Red flowers, Dec–Mar (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese camellia : Dec–Mar |
Design notes
- Morning sun and afternoon shade; hard freezes brown open flowers and buds.
- Tea scale on leaf undersides is the common pest — check annually.
Regions
Native range: Japan, Korea and China.
Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Japanese camellia
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.