Jul 24 2008
Plant of the Week: Camellia
The history of this vibrant flower is as amazing as the large blooms that fill the deep green shrub. The Camellia can be dated back to 1200BC and was a popular flower used in Korean weddings. The flower itself is said to represent both longevity and faithfulness.
The Camellia is an excellent plant that I would love to have in my garden. It does well in soils with a high acid level and actually thrives in them. It is an evergreen shrub that maintains a deep, glossy green throughout the year. The flowers come in a range of colors from red to pink to white with yellow centers. On top of color, the blooms can be found in single, semi-double, formal double and irregular double. You can also purchase them in peony, rose or anemone form. This gives a lot of diversity for the gardener and the fragrant scents and large blooms that usual range in size from 3 to 6 inches. 
The Camellia does well in zones 8 through to 10 and it can also do well in zone 7 and in zone 6 if it has proper protection from the cold. The blooming season for the Camellia is between November and March, which is a wonderful time of year to see the exquisite blooms. The plant itself does much better in partial shade with moist soil.
So, as much as I would love to have one of these in my gardens, the Camellia falls out of my zone but many gardeners can delight in having such an exquisite evergreen, one that is related to the tea plant, in their gardens.
Sirena Van Schaik
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