How Long Do Camellias Take to Grow to Full Height?

How Fast Do Camellia Hedges Grow?

You are here: Home / Grow / ?

Hedging is a good way to have a lot of space without having to spend a fortune. In addition, it can protect your garden from wind, animals, sun and all sorts of natural hazards. If you've had a little camellia garden for quite a while now and have finally had enough of the plants, cutting them back won't be as easy as you might think. For some, it can feel like they've been through hell and back, yet the only thing that grows is the 'hair'. In addition, some of your cuttings may even begin to take root within a few days. You can use this type of growth to make sure your tree has survived, and will even get bigger and stronger.

Although this type of regeneration works perfectly well, using it at a more leisurely pace will allow you to enjoy the benefits of your camellias year after year. As a result, you can keep them happy as well as keeping yourself busy. To do this, we're going to be looking into exactly how fast these plants regenerate. After all, did you know that when it comes to hedges, every day matters?

Regeneration Time: 6 Weeks to 8 Months. In order to successfully grow a hedge, you're going to need to find out how fast your plant is going to regenerate. In other words, this is simply an estimation of how much time it will take for your plant to fully recover. It can vary greatly depending on the type of camellia you're using, whether they are a climbing type or a dwarf variety, and how often you divide the hedge. At the moment, our garden is divided three times a year to keep the hedge healthy.

As you can see in our example above, we're able to get 4-6 growth per year. That being said, this figure will grow a lot longer if you want your hedge to last.

Our first camellia was planted in 2024. This tree was then divided three times per year until it was eventually replaced with the new camellia in 2024. As a result, it's estimated that it'll take around 7-8 months before the new branches start to grow.

How Long Do Camellias Take to Grow to Full Height?

If they are grown outdoors with little to no shade and with no water restrictions it's possible for the Camellias to reach full growth at about 10 years.

If they are grown indoors you will not see them reach that full height until approximately 4 to 5 years after planting. How to Prune Camellia Foliage, Shoots & Buds: If you desire large flowers of vibrant colors and abundant foliage for Christmas your Camellia can't be pruned when in its first 3 years. In the 4th year it is time to prune off the large flower trusses, then in the 5th year you can prune off most of the older flowers and small trusses of new flowers in the spring. Remember that camellias get tired quicker, and will lose the bloom for several months if you prune too often. If you are wanting dense thick foliage all season long then you will need to be sure your plants have had at least three years to grow before you begin to prune them. Pruning for the Thick Foliage - How to Trim the Crown of a Camellia: In early fall when the Camellias are flowering the largest leaves should be trimmed off around the crown so the plants have sufficient room for full blossoming the following spring. It is also best to leave on the first 5 or 6 years. Pruning for Large Flowers - How to Trim the Large Flower Heads: At the end of their blooming season, your beautiful Camellias will start to go into winter rest. Once they do this it is time to go into pruning mode. This is the year to go into the larger flower trusses, making sure the flower color is strong and they don't look too thin from lack of light. Remove those branches that are beginning to go inwards, as these branches will cause the flowers to bend outwards which can then make the flowers droop. In the next two years prune the majority of the remaining flowers down, and cut away what flower buds are beginning to grow inwards towards the center of the plant. You want it to appear full. Keep an eye on your camellias next spring. If their bloom is weak they need further pruning the following spring.