Camellia: how to grow it in pots and in the garden

There camellia is an evergreen plantoriginally from Asia and precisely from the sub-tropical areas, belonging to the family of Theaceae. The camellia arrived in Europe by the hand of a botanical missionary named Georg Joseph Kamel, who imported it from Japan. For this reason the plant was called camellia thanks to a Latinization of its name Kamel.

Camellia is a perennial plant that can boast many different species. In general all camellias are a shrub or sapling habit and can reach 12 meters in height. THE camellia flowers they can also vary in color and structure according to the species, in general they range from shades of pink to white with colored streaks to lobster-colored and the flowers can be single, double and semi-double.

Most common species

Among the most widespread species we can mention the camellia japonica and the camellia sasanquatogether with the camellia sinensis.

• There camellia japonica it has a characteristic corolla formed by a tuft of yellow stamens surrounded by red petals with white streaks. It can reach a height ranging from three to five meters. Flowering occurs in spring and in a very luxuriant way so much so that it is advisable to grow it in the ground rather than in pots.
• There camellia sasanqua The Christmas camellia is famous precisely because it blooms in the winter. It is native to Japan and China where it is cultivated above all for practical purposes such as the production of tea and that of an oil for culinary use, for lighting or for the composition of cosmetic products. The sasanqua camellia is a massive and very branched shrub, the flowering can be thick and luxuriant one year another year less abundant.
• There camellia sinesis finally, it is also a species exploited for the production of tea and consists of small white or yellow flowers with leaves with a toothed and very shiny margin and can exceed well over 2 meters.

Meaning

This highly refined flower has a meaning linked to beauty and esteem, in oriental culture it is the flower par excellence that seals the union between lovers… some would say the perfect flower to celebrate Valentine’s Day: bringing a camellia as a gift is synonymous with eternal love and devotion. Just as we have already told you about other types of flowers, the camellia also has a different meaning linked to its colour: the yellow camellia for example it evokes nostalgia, the lack of a loved one that we would like to meet again, while the white camellia represents parent/child love. There red camellia instead it is generally given to express passionate love.

Growing in the garden

As we have said, the camellia has Asian origins, therefore it tolerates humid subtropical climates well, but even less welcoming and colder temperatures are a challenge often successfully overcome by this shrub with an elegant but at the same time robust appearance. However, for the cultivation of the camellia we generally proceed sowing in boxes the seeds obtained from the fruits of flowering. By placing them at a distance of 5 centimeters, sowing is concluded by adding sand mixed with peat and waiting for the following spring. That will be the time to place the seedlings in the garden and wait for the flowering that will take place in the following two years. In case of direct sowing in the garden without the use of boxes, the seeds must be planted at a depth of 20-30 cm (40 cm if the soil is basic). Use a good specific soil for acidophilies, the pot must also be of a suitable size to contain the camellia.

Pot cultivation

Cultivation in pots does not differ from that in the garden, the important thing is to place the pot in a part of the house that is shaded in summer and sheltered from the wind. The optimal temperature for our indoor camellia will be between five and twenty degrees Celsius. It will be good practice in summer to wet the potted soil every day, as the plant must always be kept in contact with a high degree of humidity. It is advisable not to do this with running tap water as it is rich in limestone but using rain water or water recovered from air conditioners.

Flowering

The flowering of the camellia occurs in the period from spring to autumn. Then there are species such as the sasanqua camellia which blooms in the winter, so if you want to give the house a touch of freshness during the cold period, just place it in the house in perfect harmony with the Christmas decorations.

When to repot

The best time to repot camellia is autumn when the plant is in vegetative rest and the temperatures are not too unfavorable yet. Obtain a vase that is at least one third larger than the previous one and place a generous layer of gravel and expanded clay on the bottom. Then extract the plant from the previous pot and place it in the new pot, covering it with earth up to the point where it was previously buried.

Diseases and pests

The disease that can mainly affect the camellia plant is that of “grey mold” caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. The action of this fungus causes root rot and constant yellowing of the leaves. To attempt a recovery of the plant it is advisable to sprinkle on the ground some fungicidal material available in specialized shops for this type of treatment.