CAMELLIA SPECIES

These plants are mostly what you would find in the wild in China, Japan, Korea or Vietnam and are described in more detail in the Collected Species of the Genus Camellia, an Illustrated Outline. Most of the species we offer have some horticultural merit such as striking foliage or impressive floral displays. Many of these species have not been in United States gardens for long so we can only guess some of the attributes such as hardiness. Most of these plants (except cultivars) are grown from open pollinated seeds so there is genetic diversity and hybrids are possible although rare.

Selections that are new this year are shown in green.

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

Camellia albogigas = C. granthamiana (zone 9) – This species from Guangdong Province in southern China has large white flowers with 8-10 petals. The leaves are large and very reticulate (veins are impressed into the surface). C. albogigas should be merged with C. granthamiana since the variation in C. albogigas plants overlaps the variation in C. granthamiana plants. This blooms from late fall through winter in our greenhouse and will become a small tree. $12.00

Camellia brevistyla (zone 7B) -This highly variable species from the mountains of southeastern China is related to C. sasanqua and C. oleifera. White flowers are produced in the fall and can vary in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The foliage is a dark green, relatively small and fairly dense. The bark becomes orange at a young age and is quite attractive. It survives and thrives in exposed, severely deforested areas in the wild, and is very easy to cultivate. The natural distribution is SE China and Taiwan. $10.00 and $50.00

Camellia chekiangoleosa (zone 7A) – This Chinese species is closely related to C. japonica, but has larger flowers and can have a distinctly orange red hue in the flowers. The flowers are single with a large boss of yellow anthers and bloom from late winter into early spring. Reports from this country indicate this is quite cold hardy possibly even into zone 6. This is a showy species which deserves to be used widely in the landscape and hybridized with various species to push the limits of Camellias. Often large apple sized fruits are produced and the seeds can be pressed to make a high quality oil for cooking. $12.00

NEW Camellia chrysanthoides (zone 9) – This species from southern Guangxi has bright yellow flowers about 1.5 inches across and is easy to grow with good resistance to dieback disease. The foliage emerges with a strong burgundy red color and the large leaves have strongly impressed veins. So far the plants have taken a little frost without any damage but the cold hardiness is untested. $12.00

Camellia cuspidata (zone 7A) -This very fine textured shrub produces small (2” across) white flowers in the late winter or early spring. The narrow leaves have a nice red flush as they emerge and are displayed on willowy growth. The plant becomes a small tree with time and has very good cold hardiness. These seedlings come from plants originating in the Huang Shan (Yellow mountains) in Anhwei province near the northern limits of Camellias in China. $30.00 and $50.00

Camellia edithae ‘Jinqu’=’Dongnan Shancha’ (zone 7B) – This Chinese cultivar has an exceptional bloom as well as beautiful foliage. The formal double rose-red flowers are produced in late spring (the end of March through April) and are quite heat tolerant. The dark glossy leaves have deeply indented veins and make the plant handsome all year long. The form of the plant is also excellent with compact and upright growth. I have found this to perform better with some shade. $12.00

NEW Camellia edithae ‘Momudan’ (zone 7B) – “Black Peony” (trans.) is a light red peony to anemone form flowered plant. This heavy blooming cultivar is cultivated widely in eastern China and hybridizes easily with C. japonica. The bloom season is early spring. Like the above plant this has hairy stems and dry bud scales. $12.00

Camellia fluviatiles (zone 7B) -This species comes from southeastern China and has long, narrow leaves. The plant has an erect growth habit and blooms freely in the autumn. The small (1 inch) white flowers are followed by small green to red fruits. $12.00

Camellia furfuracea (zone 8?) – While this species has striking foliage the greenish cream flowers have a minimal ornamental display. The leaves can be up to 7 inches long with indented veins and a rather stiff texture. This one can become a small tree up to 30 feet tall. The fruits are unusual with a flaky furfuraceous surface which means it has a rough brownish scaly appearance. The species is widespread in SE China, Vietnam and Laos. $12.00

NEW Camellia granthamiana (zone 9) – From Hong Kong and adjacent Guangdong province this small tree up to 25 feet tall has spectacular large white flowers in autumn. The flowers can be 4-5 inches across with translucent white petals and bright orange yellow stamens. This can be used as a small blooming tree in warmer areas because of the handsome foliage, sun tolerance and large blooms. Several interspecific hybrids have been made which have reasonable cold hardiness as well as large flowers and the handsome foliage. $12.00

Camellia japonica “Korean” (zone 6A) – From the northern range of C. japonica in Korea Barry Yinger collected seeds and cuttings which have turned out to be some of the hardiest Camellias so far discovered. The small single red flowers are typical of wild C. japonica although the rounded leaves are distinctive to the Korean Camellias. These are clones selected for plant form and bloom. $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

Camellia obtusifolia (zone 7) – This species produces an abundance of small white flowers in the autumn and develops cinnamon colored bark with age. The plant is very similar to C. brevistyla. The wild distribution range includes Jiangxi, Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces. $12.00 and $50.00

Camellia octapetala (zone 7A) - Most years our outdoor plants set an impressive crop of fruits. The brown fruits are massive and are the size of oranges and most seeds germinate. The pale yellow flowers are 1-2 inches across and appear in the fall. The foliage is large and distinctive with a glossy light green-grayish cast. The wild distribution ranges from southwestern Zhejiang province into western Fujian province. $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

Camellia oleifera (zone 6B) - This very sturdy and vigorous evergreen shrub produces a show of single, white flowers in the early to middle autumn. This strain comes from high in the Lu Shan mountains in east-central China and has thick dull green foliage that is superior to some other strains of this species currently available. This species has broad application in the landscape because it is one of our hardiest and easiest to cultivate broad-leaved evergreens. The seeds of this plant are used in China to make a high quality vegetable oil and may be a future crop here in the SE United States. These seedlings will eventually grow to 25 feet tall and almost as wide in full or partial sun. $12.00 and $24.00

Camellia polyodonta (zone 7B) – From northwestern Guangxi comes this deep pink to red flowered species that is closely related to C. japonica. Plants of this species in our garden have bloomed well and we expect they will become quite showy plants. The large leaves have slightly indented veins and the plant will become a small tree. $12.00

NEW Camellia rosaeflora (zone 7B) – This widely cultivated species may be a hybrid developed in cultivation and it does have landscape value for its fine texture and distinctive blooms. The flowers are medium pink and about 1.5 inches across. The branches are thin and tend to be somewhat weeping making a delicate form in the garden. The heavy blooming trait has resulted in many cluster flowered hybrids. These are rooted cuttings. $12.00

Camellia rosaeflora ‘Cascade’ (zone 7B) - A cluster-flowered species that is a prolific producer of small blush pink flowers on slightly weeping branches. This charming species is the parent of many cluster-flowered hybrids. $12.00

Camellia sasanqua ‘Shikoku Stars’ (zone 7A) – This selection from wild collected C. sasanqua is the true species with pure white flowers. All cultivated C. sasanqua are introgressed with C. japonica. $12.00

Camellia semiserrata (zone 8B) – Professor Gao gave me seeds from the white flowered form of C. semiserrata and I expect that only a small percentage of the seedlings will have white flowers. I would expect deep pink flowers since the plants probably crossed with pink flowered forms of C. semiserrata. This species has not proved very hardy for us although I have a few plants which bloom in early spring on upright plants with large leaves. $12.00

Camellia vietnamensis (zone 8B) - This species has very nice large foliage characterized by round leaf apices. Large white flowers are usually high up in the branches of this extremely vigorous growing tree. These seedlings are from the larger leafed form of this species and appear quite different from the plants we first offered as C. vietnamenesis. These also bloom later, usually in late winter. This is an example of how confusing the taxonomy of the genus Camellia can be; some species can be highly variable in leaf size or even bloom season. $12.00 and $40.00

Camellia yuhsienensis (zone 7?) – This species from Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong makes a spectacular floral display because of the heavy bud set. I have seen plants with an “inflorescence” of over a dozen buds at the tip of a branch—like a spiky Christmas decoration since the flower buds are long and pointed. Some clones of this species have a very nice fragrance but plants are variable. The flowers are white and open in late winter. The leaves are relatively small and reticulate. $12.00