Japanese Camellia Camellia japonica
Pyramidal to upright oval shrubs. Very regular and formal in appearance. Blooms: Reds, whites, pinks, and many combinations there of.Prominent gold stamens are sometimes a feature. Various cultivars may bloom as early as November, and
others won't finish blooming until the end of March. But blooms are often most handsome in December.
Double blooms, speckled, bicolors are available. Leaves: Typically large, thick glossy dark green. Height: All varieties eventually grow to 10 feet or more, but with regular pruning most can be kept under 8 feet tall. Soil: Azalea soil - acid, moist but well-drained and with plenty of humus. Light: Plants will need some shade, particularly in the afternoon, but constant shade may severely reduce blooms. Uses:Japonica camellias are large shrubs that typically develop a rather rigid Christmas-tree-like shape. They are perhaps best used as stand-alone shrubs in large islands, mixed with companion plants such as azaleas. They can be useful around the house foundation,
but only if given plenty of room to grow and proper soil and light conditions.
Photos and descriptions of some local favorites
Deciduous hollies Ilex verticillata, I. decidua, I. amelanchier, I. hybrids
Ilex verticillata
Ilex decidua fruit
Blooms: Leaves: Height : Soils: Light: Uses:
Tea or Sweet olive Osmanthus fragrans and O. fragrans forma aurantiacus
Deciduous hollies
