Plant of the Month - Camellia

Hardy, reliable, colourful.

Plant: Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica)

When gardeners say camellias are hardy plants, they aren’t joking! Everyone knows the Entally Conservatory, with its three camellia trees, but did you know these were planted in 1855, during the construction of the Conservatory?

Camellias have been cultivated in Australia since the early days of European settlement, and they quickly showed to be one of the highest performing plants in the harsh Tasmanian winters by flowering over the colder months. Giving stunning blooms in red, pink, and white shades right through autumn, winter and into spring, their glossy green foliage and bright flowers brighten up even the dreariest winter days. They can be used as a hedge or a feature tree, and will give you ample flowers to display indoors – floating in a shallow bowl of water is our favourite!

When choosing a variety, there only four available in Australia – Camellia Japonica, the one grown at Entally with single & double flowers, growing up to 4m tall; Camellia Sasanqua, mainly used as a hedging plant needing full sun and growing up to 3m tall; Camellia Sinesis, otherwise known as the ‘Tea Plant’, grown for the leaf tips which make a delicious tea, up to 2m tall; and Camellia Reticulata, a feature tree plant growing large voluptuous flowers, up to 5m tall.

When deciding where to plant, note that camellias prefer cool to temperate climates with acidic soils. Each variety has differing sun needs, so ask your nursery which one will suit you best. Camellias can also be grown in pots but will need weekly fertilising to keep healthy and encourage strong growth.

Once established, keep up the water! Even though camellias are known to be drought-tolerant, the more water-stressed they are, the less happy the plant is. They can dry out easily during summer with their shallow root systems, so spread a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture. This doesn’t need to be dug in – camellias hate their roots being disturbed.

Camellias are susceptible to ‘bud balling’ – where the buds form but go brown and don’t open. This generally occurs when the plant isn’t getting enough magnesium and is easily remedied by an application of liquid magnesium.