Camellia japonica Cultivars

When thinking of Camellia these are what comes to mind first. C. japonica has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times and a few cultivars have been grown since the 1600’s or before. Almost all varieties are upright shrubs which grow from 4 to 12 inches a year. Almost all develop into dense symmetrical shrubs with glossy evergreen leaves. There are many different flower forms, colors and bloom seasons.

Selections introduced by Camellia Forest are shown in blue.
Selections that are new this year are shown in green.
New Camellia Forest selections are shown in purple.

Where present, thumbnails can be clicked for a larger image.

CF ‘Adeyaka’ (zone 7A) - This bright red single blooms from early to mid-season (December until March). The petals are a saturated true red with a cylinder of yellow stamens and the flower is the model of the Camellia Forest logo. The glossy dark green leaves are longer and narrower than the species. This winter hardy selection is intended for landscape use because of the exceptionally glossy leaves and intense color of the flowers. $12.00

CF ‘Autumn Lantern’ (zone 7A) - This true fall blooming Camellia japonica will be covered with single rose red flowers in November. The advantage of fall bloom is the flowers avoid spring frosts and flower blight. The flowers on ‘Autumn Lantern’ open all at once for a nice show in the garden when there is not a lot of floral color around. The foliage is a deep dark green and the plant has good disease resistance and nice upright form. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Dainty’) $12.00

CF ‘Autumn Mist’ (zone 7A) - This fall blooming C. japonica starts the season by opening large pure white blooms and as the weather cools, the single flowers gain more pink pigment. Most of the pink is at the edges of the petals and gradually fades towards the center of the bloom. The stamens are held in a tight cylinder. The leaves are rather large and the plant is very vigorous. Blooming starts in October most years and will continue into winter. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Daikagura’) $50.00

‘Benten-kagura’ (zone 7) – “Dance of Goddess of Luck” (trans.) is a mutation of ‘Daikagura’ and has the same early fall blooming habit and red and white peony form flowers. The mutation causes the leaves to have an irregular white border on often misshapen leaves. The variegation is striking and gives the plant a white and green appearance. The red flowers have heavy white mottles caused by virus and often start blooming in early October here in NC. $15.00

‘Berenice Boddy’ (zone 7) – This is a nice landscape plant but probably more important as a parent in hybridization. The semi-double flowers allow excellent seed set while also allowing for many different flower forms in the seedlings. The pale pink color shades to white in the center also allows a wide range of colors from white to red in the progeny and the shading gene gives more interest too. The bloom season is quite long from early to late in the season and the progeny range from the earliest fall bloomers to the latest April bloomers. The plant is compact with relatively small leaves. Plant Patent #605 $12.00

‘Black Magic’ (zone 7) – The flowers of ‘Black Magic’ have an unusual glossy appearance and are a very dark red. The flowers are medium sized and semi-double to rose form double. The flowers open late in the season. The leaves have exaggerated serrations making the foliage very interesting year round. $12.00

NEW ‘Brilliant’ (zone 7A) – This old variety shows good flower bud hardiness and makes a compact upright plant. The flowers are bright red and formal double and appear in mid season. $12.00

‘C. M. Hovey’ (zone 7A) – This dark red formal double was named in Boston, MA in 1853. The flowers are medium sized and bloom late in the season. $24.00

‘Dahlohnega’ (zone 7A) - Pale yellow formal double flowers are produced late in the season. This was developed by Walter Homeyer and the name is a Cherokee word for gold. The plant is a slow and compact grower. $15.00

NEW ‘Christmas Beauty’ (zone 7) – This cultivar often produces a show of color around Christmas with a multitude of simple bright red flowers. The semi-double flowers and flowers buds both show good resistance to cold which is important for this early season bloomer. The plant has vigorous growth which can be somewhat pendulous. $24.00

NEW ‘Christmas Beauty Var.’ (zone 7) – This is the virus variegated form of the above with white splotches in the flowers. $15.00

NEW ‘Chûjôhaku Var.’ (zone 7) – This white flowered Higo form blooms in the fall with large flat flowers with flared stamens. $12.00

‘Daikagura’ (zone 7A) – “Great Sacred Dance” (trans.) has rose pink to carmine rose colored peony flowers. This clone does not show any virus variegation in the flowers or leaves. The plant starts to bloom very early (October) and continues to have blooms into spring. $12.00

‘Debutante’ (zone 7A) – This distinctive bloom originated at Magnolia Gardens in Charleston, SC. This vigorous cultivar has flourished throughout the south and brings back memories from childhood for many people. ‘Debutante’ starts to bloom in the fall and often blooms can be placed on the Thanksgiving table. The peony form flower is a mass of ruffled light pink petals. $24.00

‘Destiny’ (zone 7A) - This sport of ‘Lady Clare’ has striking white streaked deep pink flowers. This has the sturdy habit, large flowers and cold hardiness of ‘Lady Clare’. $12.00

NEW ‘Dr. J. C. Raulston’ (zone 7) – Ray Bond named this bright red Camellia to honor our local hero. I have found the flowers to be medium sized and anemone form with a mid season bloom (March). The plant grows relatively slowly and makes a nice compact shrub. $12.00

‘Dr. Tinsley’ (zone 7A) – The distinctive trait of this flower is the shading from light pink at the center to deeper pink at the petal tips. The flowers are semi-double and appear in mid-season (March). The plant makes a compact and upright outline. $24.00

NEW ‘Elizabeth Ann’ (zone 7) – From Ray Bond comes a long-season bloomer with formal double flowers. The large flowers are white with pink edges and the plant has upright growth. $12.00

‘Fire Falls’ (zone 7A) – The glowing red flowers of ‘Firefalls’ appear early in the season and are a full peony form which means they are a dense ball of crinkled petals. The growth habit is quite vigorous and open growing with large leaves. $24.00

‘Glen 40’=’Coquetti’ (zone 7A) – ‘Glen 40’ is a wonderful deep red formal double flower and the flower is medium to large in size. This blooms for a long season. It has a compact growth habit and is quite cold hardy and dependable. $24.00

‘Jacks’ (zone 7A) - The impressive flowers of ‘Jacks’ are deep pink formal double. The petals are arranged in many concentric circles. The plant is very hardy and one of the most compact C. japonicas. I recommend this one if you want something to stay less than 5 feet tall for many years. $24.00

NEW ‘Katie Supreme’ (zone 7) - This very large sized semi-double has a beautiful coral rose pink color and blooms early to mid season. $12.00

NEW ‘Kingyoba-tsubaki’ (zone 7) – “Goldfish leafed Camellia” (trans.) is an ancient Camellia possibly from the 18th century. This fish tail Camellia has deep pink-red single flowers which open as a tubular bloom which gradually opening flat. The bloom season starts in March and continues into April. $12.00 and $24.00

‘Kujacku-tsubaki’ (zone 7A) - The “Peacock Camellia” (trans.) has semi-double trumpet shaped flowers that are red with white mottles. The leaves are very narrow and lanceolate often with yellow markings from virus. The branches are quite weeping and combined with the unusual leaves it makes a striking and different Camellia. This blooms mid to late season. $12.00 and $24.00

‘Lady Clare’ = ‘Akashigata’ (zone 7A) – “Akashi Bay” (trans.) is from Edo (ancient Tokyo) and has very large semi-double flowers with a distinct column of stamens. The flowers are deep pink and appear in early to mid-season. ‘Lady Clare’ is a very dependable landscape plant because it is tough and has good cold hardiness; large plants are often seen in old gardens in this area. This is a triploid variety which means it has three sets of chromosomes rather than the two sets usually found in C. japonica. The leaves are large and thick while the plant has a somewhat spreading growth habit. $24.00

‘Lady van Sittart’ (zone 7A) - The white striped rose red flowers are striking contrasted with the glossy and narrow foliage. The transposons which cause the color streaks are very unstable and often solid rose red or pink flowers are produced. The way to guarantee color is to buy these with an open bloom. The numerous flowers are semi-double and open mid to late in the season. $24.00

NEW ‘Maroon and Gold’ (zone 7) – The striking contrast of the yellow stamens with the dark red petals make the name very appropriate. This Nuccio’s introduction grows slowly for me and has small very dark green leaves. $24.00

‘Morning Glow’ (zone 7) – A variety from 1948 which is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, ‘Morning Glow’ has medium sized formal double white flowers which sometimes appear a creamy yellow. The plant has vigorous upright growth. $24.00

‘Nanbankô’ (zone 7A) – “Southern Red” (trans.) has large vermilion red flowers with petaloids packed into the center to make an impressive rounded flower. It blooms mid to late season and has giant broad thick leaves and a coarse open growth habit. The plant is extremely vigorous with excellent foliage. $15.00

‘Nuccio’s Cameo’ (zone 7) - The perfect form of the medium pink formal double flowers make this a must have plant for many visitors. The plant form is excellent as it branches well and has upright growth. This has a very long bloom season, starting early and continuing almost to the end of the season. $24.00

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ (zone 7) – This popular variety with beautiful white formal double flowers grows as a compact plant. The medium to large bloom opens mid season. $24.00

CF ‘October Affair’ (zone 7B) - This formal double has shaded color on the petals much like the parent, ‘Bernice Boddy’, but the bud center becomes pink as the flower ages, producing a tricolor effect. This blooms well in November and again in the spring. This is vigorous grower. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Yohei Haku’) $15.00 and $24.00

‘Pink Perfection’ (zone 7A) - A dependable older variety with excellent name recognition that produces medium sized pale pink formal double flowers in mid-season. $24.00

‘R. L. Wheeler’ (zone 7A) – The extra large flowers are unbelievable especially on small plants in pots. The large plants of ‘R. L. Wheeler’ at Wheeler Nursery in Macon, GA are impressive when in full bloom. The rose pink flowers are semi-double and open early to mid-season. Plant patent #1137. $24.00

NEW ‘Romany’ (zone 7) – This bright red formal double blooms mid season and the plant has a compact upright habit. $24.00

‘Royal Velvet’ (zone 7) - I first saw this at Nuccio’s Nursery and was impressed, then I saw it at the American Camellia Society (ACS) head table, and I even saw it at a flower show in Wenzhou, China. The saturated red color is unique and makes ‘Royal Velvet’ worthy of being grown around the world. The semi-double flower is large and the petals have good substance. The plant has large leaves and a vigorous upright growth habit. $12.00 and $24.00

‘Sea Foam’ (zone 7A) – When a perfect white large formal double flower is produced on this vigorous plant it is a sight to behold. $12.00 and $75.00 TOO LARGE

‘Shikibu’ (zone 7) – “Master of Ceremonies” (trans.) is a chance seedling of ‘Bokuhan’ and has a similar anemone form flower. The small flowers are light red although the margins of the petaloids have a frosting of white. The flowers open over a long season and the plant has upright growth. $24.00

‘Sudie Blanchard’ (zone 7) - This chalk white semi-double has striking medium to large flowers. The plant is vigorous and blooms freely as a young plant. The bloom season is mid to late season. $24.00 and $50.00

‘Taiyô’ (C. japonica ssp. rusticana)(zone 7) – “The Sun” (trans.) has one of the most striking leaf variegations I have seen in Camellia with a wide band of yellow down the center of each leaf. The yellow color actually brightens as the leaf ages. The flower is a small sake cup single of claret rose and blooms early to mid-season. $15.00

‘Tama Beauty’ (zone 7A) – The form of ‘Tama Beauty’ varies from a single with flared stamens to a partial peony or anemone form flower. The rose pink petals are bordered with a distinct white border. The plant is a moderate upright grower and blooms early in the season. $12.00

‘Tama-ikari’ (zone 7) – “Jeweled Anchor” (trans.) has pink flowers gradating to pale pink at the center. The single flowers are bowl shaped with a cylinder of stamens. The flowers have a pleasant fragrance and bloom mid to late season. $12.00 and $24.00

‘Tama-no-ura’ (zone 7A) - This unique plant was discovered in the wild by a charcoal burner. The medium red flowers have a prominent white edge, are small singles and bloom early to midseason. This is a super fertile seed parent and a high percentage of its progeny have the white picotee edge in the flowers. This should be crossed with all possible combinations such as C. rosaeflora to obtain picoteed cluster-flower type hybrids. $12.00 and $24.00

‘Tama Peacock’ (zone 7) – This seedling of ‘Tama-no-ura’ has a strong maroonish red flower with a prominent white border. The flower is a tubular semi-double, the plant has somewhat pendulous growth and the leaves are long and narrow. Do you think the pollen parent is ‘Kujacku-tsubaki’? $12.00

NEW ‘Tama Vino’ (zone 7) – The wine red flowers have a narrow white border and open early in the season. The plant has nice attractive leaves and grows vigorously. $12.00 and $75.00 TOO LARGE

‘Tom Knudsen’ (zone 7A) - The striking dark red flowers vary from formal double to informal double to peony form. The plant has a very compact growth habit and blooms a little early to mid-season but generally puts on a big show late in the season. $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

‘Tricolor Pink’ (zone 7A) - The striking blooms are pink with darker pink stripes and are semi-double in form. The plant has very compact growth and is an excellent seed parent--useful because it carries the candy-stripe gene. $12.00 ($24.00 size sold out)

NEW ‘Tudor Baby’ (zone 7) – This small flowered seedling was saved from the compost pile and has turned out to be a fantastic late blooming formal double. The dark red petals are edged with black. This was developed by Hulyn Smith who loves huge red flowers. $24.00

NEW ‘Tudor Baby Var.’ (zone 7) – The exceptional variegation almost makes this one an improvement on the original. When Gene Phillips posted a fine picture of this at the end of the Camellia season everyone raved over it. $24.00

CF ‘Turandot’ (zone 7A) – This large, medium red and peony form blooms midseason to late. The combination of flower bud hardiness and heavy bloom produces an excellent floral display in the garden every year. The plant has broad leaves and an upright growth habit. $12.00

‘Unryu-tsubaki’ (zone 7) - The “zig-zag” camellia makes a 45 degree turn at every node on the stem and the result is a bizarre maze of branches. The plant has a very upright habit almost fastigiate. The single flowers are rose red and open early in the season. $24.00

NEW ‘White Empress’ (zone 7A) – This old dependable variety has performed well in this area as well as farther north. The large semi-double flowers bloom early to mid-season. $24.00

NEW ‘White Mermaid’ (zone 7) – This is the white flowered form of the fish-tailed Camellia. The tip of most leaves will narrow down and then flare out to three points. The flower is a single and medium sized. $12.00

‘Willie Hite’ (zone 7A) – The color of ‘Willie Hite’ is light pink shading to deeper pink at the petal edges and the flower form is a medium semi-double with heart shaped petals. The plant has medium, dense and upright growth. The plant is also one of the most hardy zone 7 Camellias with good flower bud hardiness. $12.00

‘Yours Truly’ (zone 7A) – This sport of ‘Lady van Sittart’ has dark pink stripes on a pink background with a white border. The medium sized flower is semi-double and blooms mid-season to late. The jumping gene (transposon) which causes the stripes can also cause branch sports quite frequently so pink stripes on white and solid pink flowers are to be expected. $50.00