Do Japanese camellias like sun or shade?

Shade for sure!

They need full sun.

Can Japanese camellias bloom in containers or the ground? I've had success in containers for my own garden and my wife's mother's for this time of year but they really require full sun in an average garden. I also like to put them among other low water loving plants (lilac, phlox, sweet woodruff) as these "helpful companions". If you plant a number of them together they will shade over each other.

I haven't seen a lot of comments on this particular camellia. Can anyone recommend a particular brand? My mom has given it to me, not sure how well they do. Would love to have answer if you guys know.

I bought mine at a big box store a while ago - I forget the name of it. It was a big, wide green one with black blossoms? It's in the same area of the market as the ones you mentioned so, if I ever want to remember I'll be able to see them. You might also remember seeing the same type of leaves of these shrubs at Pottery Barn or something.

It's the Camellia 'Lillian' - the blooms are quite large. The 'Jelly Bean' are all about 8" in diameter, the blossoms are pale white-green (and have a bit of yellow around the edges, which is unusual for camellias and I think attractive). I don't have an idea about the fragrance - or about whether they smell nice. It would be a good idea to get some samples and see what you like. Even if your mom likes them and they like you too, then you'll always know where they came from :).

I'm just looking at that one, it looks so pretty.the large leaves are really striking too - do these ones have a long season - I saw them for sale in August.

I did try looking on line, but couldn't find anything specific to the cultivar (or any camellias - or even a very recent post, which was a shame, 'cos they were beautiful!). The Jelly Bean are beautiful. The scent has changed over the years; it varies from none, to a lovely, subtle scent similar to lilac, to very floral. The large blossoms often have a yellow edge and I think they look great with pink.

How long is the life span of a Japanese camellia?

It's a question that's long preoccupied plant breeders, says Steve Meeks, director of the Center for Cactus, Succulents and Hardy Plants at UC Riverside.

Meeks has spent more than four decades researching camellias. He's traveled the world to find the best ones, and brought home camellias to grow in his own backyard.

He is the owner of several named camellia varieties, such as the blue-striped "Grande Camellia" and the "Marilyn Monroe," which produces flowers with long trumpet-shaped tips. But Meeks doesn't always succeed at breeding he says some plants "just don't go along with you," even though they're the "easiest plants to breed." He also notes that camellias "may be the hardest to get a good bloom" in the ornamental plant world.

"You may have the most beautiful camellia you can imagine," Meeks said. "You go out in the field with it and everything looks perfect. But it's like, 'Oh no. That doesn't look like a good camellia. Oh my god!'"

The Japanese camellia, Camellia japonica, is one of four types of camellias native to Japan and China. It has glossy green leaves and produces flowers of various colors light pink, yellow and white. Meeks says they are one of the easiest plants to grow.

"It just blossoms year after year," Meeks said. "They're easy to grow."

Despite its easy nature, breeders haven't been successful at breeding Japanese camellias since the early 1980s, Meeks said. "That was what the last push was from the Japanese," he added. "They wanted all these traits: long flowers, big flowers, great bloom."

"So we lost most of that," Meeks said. Camellia japonica 'Miyagikko' blooms in California, July 2026. The plant is now rare in the U., due to loss of habitat and pollution. Michael C. Johnston / UCR Extension

Japanese camellias on the brink of extinction. Meeks is an expert on these tiny little camellias. As the center director, he's responsible for the plant's propagation and breeding.

How big are Japanese camellias mature?

I bought one Japanese camellia today and it is huge.

It is about 3-4 inches wide by 1-1.5 inches tall. I was wondering if camellias grow that big so early in the spring?
Thanks. It's about 3 ft. In diameter and about 4 inches tall. That's a bit large, it'll be a challenge to train this! I have a dwarf Siberian and my mother (from Japan) grew out to about 5 inches tall and she loves it.

I don't believe there is any information available on the internet but here's a link. Hopefully it'll explain some.

"The Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) is grown for its large white flowers which bloom in May. The species name japonica literally translates as meaning "from Japan." In terms of growth characteristics, Japanicas perform at their best in areas with long growing seasons like California. These plants were brought to California from Japan in the 1920s and were selected from many varieties as they fit into the harsh climate and long winter nights better than any other variety. Their roots do not tolerate drought well at all but will do best when planted with ample water in containers when temperatures fall. Some gardeners transplant in the fall to promote new growth and extend the flowering season before dormancy sets in with cold nights. For the very largest blooms, wait until springtime when temperatures are warm enough to stimulate the plant, and use supplemental light energy during the summer."

As a former camellia propagator in Japan and owner of a few Japanese Camellia and as mentioned these are usually planted out in the fall. It is a difficult plant to take a reasonable and healthy growth because of drought. If you want to start it in a pot with good drainage and water it regularly once or twice a week, it will not give you back any trouble. I would suggest to not grow it in a place that faces north or south in winter. Because the camellia has more roots and grow deeper than other trees like Maple, Pine tree, etc.it is recommended to fertilize it with fertilizer before using high phosphate fertilizer or not in order to prevent excessive growth rate of the plant.

Thank you so much! This is going to make me feel better about the size. I've bought a lot of different Japanese plants over the years and I've had great results.

How fast do Japanese camellia grow?

I have just planted my first Japanese camellia and it is about to flower.

I did not know that these trees grow very quickly and are able to flower before I have even had time to notice them.

Can anyone tell me how fast they grow? I am in Sydney. It is a white one which I bought at a garden centre but they are all the same. Regards. Janet. Reply from tree-watcher. Hi Janet. We have some lovely white ones in our gardens here. They are all on a long line along the back fence. If you can't find any we have a few white ones with pink flowers growing on our property.

Aussie Plant Guy. Hi Aussie Plant Guy. Thanks for your reply. A quick search of the internet turned up an interesting website -. The author has posted a list of questions to ask the nurseryman. I'll try to answer a couple of them.

How many years does it take to flower? This was the first question. I would guess that it would flower in less than 5 years, but it might flower sooner.

Will the tree be hardy or does it need protection? The tree will need protection from frosts in winter. It is hardy down to -5C.

Is there a maximum size? It appears that it can be grown to 30m in height and 30m in diameter. This means that it could have a trunk diameter of 12m.

I know this is a very long question, but I wanted to put it all in one go. I am looking forward to seeing if it flowers soon. I just love Japanese camellias.

You have got a little bit of a challenge ahead of you with that tree. They grow very slowly at first but then speed up. They don't flower until they are in their second year. The first year they are not sure of themselves. The second year is when they know they are growing well. The third year is when they are flowering. By the fourth year they are beginning to look a bit old fashioned.