How to Grow Camellia

In Australia, there are a few types of Camellias available including Japonica Camellia, Sasanqua Camellias, Reticulata Camellias and Tea Plant Camellia. There are also Camellia hybrids that combine the best attributes of different species, with many still in development.

Japonicas (Camellia japonica) have stunning single or double flowers and attractive glossy dark green foliage.

These small trees can grow up to 4 to 5 m high and 4 m wide. Grow them in part shade or filtered sun.

Bring their beautiful blooms inside and float them in a shallow bowl of water.

While often used as a hedging plant, Sasanquas can also be grown as small feature trees. Where space is an issue, try espaliering one against a wall or choose a dwarf form. Also look for groundcover varieties that can be used mass planted under trees, as a spillover for a wall, or in large hanging baskets.

Sasanquas can be grown in part shade or full sun, but do best with protection from the hot afternoon sun. Most grow 3 to 6 m high and 4 m wide, however, given there are so many types (including trees, dwarf and groundcover forms) and cultivars always check the plant label for plant dimensions.

These plants are real show-stoppers! Reticulatas are mainly grown for their large voluptuous flowers that appear from late winter to mid-spring. Due to their open growth habit, they’re best grown as feature trees in the garden. 

Reticulatas can be growing in part shade or filtered sun. Most are small trees and grow 3 to 5 m high.

Camellia Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis) are grown mostly for the leaf tips rather than the flowers. The new leaves and buds can be harvested and used fresh, or dried, for tea (white, green and black). Camellia Tea Plants can be grown into an attractive hedge or used as a screening plant.

Camellia Tea Plants can be grown in part shade or filtered sun and grow 1 to 2 m high and wide.

Camellias come in a range of single to double blooms and a variety of colours from deep pinks and reds, through to pretty light pink, pale yellow, cream and white. Camellias with exposed stamens are adored by bees and Camellia flowers can also attract birds. 

Choose a well-drained spot in the garden that receives the amount of sun appropriate for your chosen variety. The plant tag will indicate whether it will tolerate full sun or prefers a shadier position.

In areas with heavy or clay soil, Camellias can be planted in a raised (20 cm) mound of free-draining soil.

Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball.

Improving the soil before planting will help give the plant a great start. Soil improvement is as simple as mixing Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil dug from the planting hole.

Position the Camellia in the hole and backfill with enriched soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut-shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed.  Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots.

Keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes. Apply mulch, such as bark chips, sugarcane or pea straw, around the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk. Mulch helps keep the soil moist and the roots protected.

Water Camellias deeply, two to three times a week, depending on weather conditions.

From spring until the end of flowering, feed Camellias every 8 weeks with Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food. This will encourage healthy green leaf growth, strong root development and lots of beautiful flowers.

Small and medium-sized Camellias can be grown in pots. So, balcony, patio and small space gardeners can still enjoy growing these gorgeous plants. The plant tag will provide information on its suitability for growing in a pot.

Choose a spot that receives the amount of sun appropriate for your chosen variety. The plant tag will indicate whether it will tolerate full sun or prefers a shadier position.

Use a well-drained pot at least 400 mm in diameter.

Part fill the pot with a quality potting mix, that’s suitable for Camellias. Remove the plant from the existing container and gently tease the outer roots.

Place the root ball on the potting mix and backfill around the roots with the fresh potting mix. The final level of mix should be at the same as the level as currently around the plant.

Keep the potting mix moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes. Apply mulch, such as bark chips, sugarcane or pea straw, around the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk. Mulch helps keep the potting mix moist and the roots protected.

Water potted Camellias thoroughly, two to three times a week, depending on weather conditions.

From spring until the end of flowering, feed Camellias every 1-2 weeks with Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Concentrate. This will encourage healthy green leaf growth, strong root development and lots of beautiful flowers.

Camellias are quite drought tolerant once established but the plants will perform at their best if water stress is kept to a minimum. Camellias have shallow root systems that can dry out quickly during dry weather. In addition to regular and thorough watering, spread a layer of mulch, such as bark chips, sugarcane or pea straw, around the root zone to help retain moisture. 

Camellias do best in soil that is well-drained, rich in organic matter and slightly acidic. In areas with poorly drained or clay soil, Camellias can be planted in a raised (20 cm) gently sloping mound of free-draining soil. Many Camellias are also wonderful for growing in pots.

Camellias grow best in slightly acidic soil with a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5. See The Importance of Soil pH for Plant Nutrition & Health for more info.

If the soil is alkaline (pH above 7), apply some Yates Soil Acidifier Liquid Sulfur to help reduce the soil pH.

Most Camellias will grow well in cool, temperate and sub-tropical climates. In sub-tropical climates, sun-hardy sasanqua Camellias are best. In cool climates, Camellias are tolerant of light frosts once established.  

Camellias will do best when fed regularly with a plant food that’s boosted with additional flower-promoting potassium, like Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food. Apply the pellets around the root zone of in-ground and potted Camellias every 8 weeks during the growing and flowering seasons.

Camellias prefer a potting mix that’s been specially designed for acid-loving plants.  

Sasanqua Camellias are the hardiest Camellias, tolerating full sun. Sasanqua Camellias growing in full sun should be kept moist.  

Japonica Camellias like part-shade all day or only gentle morning sun. Sasanqua Camellias will tolerate full sun all day if kept moist, but do best with protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Yes! Take semi-hardwood cuttings (new stems that have hardened off) during summer. Cut 10 cm long stem pieces, remove all but the top few leaves, dip the ends of the stems into Yates Clonex Purple Rooting Hormone Gel and insert into small pots of Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds. Place the pot in a warm, protected spot and keep the mix moist. Roots will develop over the next 2-3 months.

The best time to prune Camellias is soon after flowering has finished.

Regular light pruning, after flowering has finished, will help promote bushier growth.

Camellias can be planted year-round, however, spring and autumn are the best planting times, as conditions are mild and less stressful for new plants. 

The best time to transplant a Camellia from one part of the garden to another is between the end of flowering and mid-spring.

Camellias flower during the cooler months of the year. Sasanqua Camellias start flowering around mid-autumn. Japonica Camellias start flowering from late Autumn.   

Camellias sometimes produce seeds, which appear like hard nuts on the stems. New Camellias can be grown from seed, however, it can take many years for these seed-grown plants to flower.

Yellow leaves can be an indication of a nutrient deficiency. Plants that have leaves that are predominantly yellow are likely to be suffering from a nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen is the key nutrient that promotes healthy green leaf growth. Nitrogen deficiency can be corrected by regularly feeding plants with fertilisers like Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Liquid Concentrate.

Leaves that are yellow, but the veins remain green, indicate an iron deficiency. The soil or potting mix could be low in iron. Or alkaline soil (soil pH above 7) can make iron less available to plants. Iron deficiency can be corrected by spraying the plant with Yates Leaf Greener Iron Chelate. It’s a concentrated form of fast-acting iron and is ideal for treating iron deficiency in acid-loving plants like Camellias.

Even the sun-hardiest Camellia can burn on an extra-hot day. Leaves can appear dry or singed, or burnt spots may develop. Leaves damaged by sunburn can then be susceptible to fungal diseases. You can provide your plant with some additional protection during hot weather by applying Yates DroughtShield to the leaves. And ensure the soil or potting mix is kept moist, particularly during hot weather.

There are several reasons why Camellias can drop their flower buds (known as ‘balling’).

Flowering plants will often produce more flowers than they are capable of sustaining. Plants can drop some buds as a result.

Camellias that are stressed due to over or under-watering, or being underfed, may drop flower buds. Check the moisture levels in the soil or potting mix and feed Camellias regularly with Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Concentrate.

Magnesium deficiency has also been associated with Camellia balling. If your Camellia is correctly watered and fed and still shows signs of balling, then additional magnesium may be required. Spray plants with Yates Leaf Greener Magnesium Chelate, which is a concentrated source of fast-acting magnesium.

Flower buds that fail to open can be due to moisture or nutrient stress. Follow the same care directions as per Why Are My Camellia Flower Buds Falling Off ?.

Aphids are tiny grey, green, brown, yellow or black sap-sucking insects that cluster on leaves and stems. They can damage the leaves, causing leaves to yellow and distort, and plant health will suffer.

Scales are sap-sucking insects that appear as raised brown, white, black or grey bumps on stems or leaves.

Aphids, Scales and various other sap-sucking pests excrete a sticky substance known as honeydew. This honeydew is often given to Ants in exchange for protection from predators. Any leftover honeydew can encourage the disease Sooty Mould which is a black and powdery fungus that coats the leaves.

When Scale and Aphids are noticed, spray plants with Yates Scale Gun. Spray the Aphids or Scale directly, including on the undersides of leaves and stems, as Yates Scale Gun works via contact action. Repeat each week as required.

The Camellia Tea Mite, also known as the Ribbed Tea Mite or Purple Tea Mite, can cause discolouration of the leaves, including bronzing down the centre of the leaf. Mites are very tiny and only visible to the naked eye with a hand lens. So, it is difficult to detect them in the early stages of infestation. In addition to the bronzing, a fine spidery webbing on the stems is another indication of Mites. This pest can build up in numbers, particularly during periods of dry weather.

There are no products that are specifically registered to control Camellia Tea Mite. Overhead watering can help to reduce the population. Keeping plants healthy, with regular feeding and watering, will help too. Affected leaves and stems can also be removed, as the damage done by Camellia Tea Mite is permanent.

Camellias infected by a virus show mottled, discoloured or deformed leaves. Flowers can also be affected. Unfortunately, there is no cure for plant viruses. Affected stems can be trimmed off if desired. After pruning a viral-infected Camellia, it’s important to disinfect pruning tools soon after to limit the spread of the virus to other Camellias.