Scientific Name:
Camellia japonica
Pronunciation:
ka-MEE-lee-ah juh-PON-ih-kuh
Common Name:
common camellia, Japanese camellia
Family Name:
Theaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, thick, leathery, most blades broadly elliptic, 5-10cm long x 3-6cm wide, dark glossy green, margin serrate with black glad-like dots at tips; stems glabrous (in contrast to the pubescent stems and smaller leaves of C. sasanqua); flowers 5-10cm wide, red (pink, Leaves alternate, thick, leathery, broadly elliptic, most blades 5-12cm long x 3-6cm wide; dark glossy green, margins crenulate; stems glabrous (in contrast to the pubescent stems of C. sasanqua); flowers 8-13cm wide, red (pink, lavender, or white cvs).
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
10 - 15m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Cut flower or foliage, Spring interest, Tall background
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus include C. ‘White Mermaid’ (toothed leaf apex).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Elliptic
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Cuneate, Obtuse
Margins:
Crenate, Serrate
Additional Info:
Hyathodes on tips of serrations
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
11+
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White, Pink, Red (also white cvs.)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr
Additional Info:
Numerous stamens; 5-8 petals but most cultivars have many; some cultivars are fragrant
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Jun, Jul, Sep
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Rounded, 2-4cm wide
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings, Layering
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Abiotic disorder, Beetles or weevils, Mealybugs, Mold, Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (FEA) Field lab Equipment Area
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : cv. Kumasaka
- (PPL) Pine PLanting : cv. ‘White Mermaid’