Camellia

Camellia

Camellia

Genus:	Camellia
Family:	Theaceae
Type:	Trees and Shrubs
Transplant:	Transplants easily
Pollination:	Insects

Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, native to eastern and southern Asia from the Himalaya east to Japan and Indonesia. There is some controversy over the number of existent species, with anything from 100–250 species being accepted. The genus was named by Linnaeus after Fr. Georg Joseph Kamel S.J., a Jesuit botanist.

Description

They are evergreen shrubs and small trees from 2–20 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, usually glossy, and 3–17 cm long. The flowers are large and conspicuous, 1–12 cm diameter, with (in natural conditions) 5–9 petals; colour varies from white to pink and red, and yellow in a few species. The fruit is a dry capsule subdivided into 1–5 compartments, each containing 1–8 seeds.

Growing conditions

The genus is generally adapted to acidic soils, and does not grow well on chalk or other calcium-rich soils. Most species also have a high rainfall requirement and will not tolerate drought.

Species

There are about 100–250 species, including:

Camellia assimilis
Camellia brevistyla
Camellia caudata
Camellia chekiangoleosa
Camellia chrysantha – Golden
Camellia
Camellia connata
Camellia crapnelliana
Camellia cuspidata
Camellia euphlebia
Camellia euryoides
Camellia forrestii
Camellia fraterna
Camellia furfuracea
Camellia granthamiana
Camellia grijsii
Camellia hongkongensis - Hong Kong Camellia
Camellia irrawadiensis
Camellia japonica – Japanese Camellia
Camellia kissii
Camellia lutchuensis
Camellia miyagii
Camellia nitidissima
Camellia nokoensis
Camellia oleifera
Camellia parviflora
Camellia pitardii
Camellia polyodonta
Camellia reticulata
Camellia rosiflora
Camellia rusticana – Snow Camellia
Camellia salicifolia
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia sasanqua – Christmas Camellia
Camellia semiserrata
Camellia sinensis – Tea
Camellia taliensis
Camellia transnokoensis
Camellia tsaii
Camellia vietnamensis
Camellia yunnanensis

Uses

One species, Camellia sinensis (tea), is of major commercial importance. Tea oil is a sweet seasoning and cooking oil made by pressing the seeds of Camellia sinensis or Camellia oleifera.

Many other camellias are grown as ornamental plants for their flowers; about 3,000 cultivars and hybrids have been selected, many with double flowers, as in the gallery featured below. Camellia japonica (often simply called Camellia) is the most prominent species in cultivation, with over 2,000 named cultivars; next are C. reticulata, with over 400 named cultivars, and C. sasanqua, with over 300 named cultivars. Popular hybrids include C. × hiemalis (C. japonica × C. sasanqua) and C. × williamsii (C. japonica × C. salouenensis). They are highly valued in Japan and elsewhere for their very early flowering, often among the first flowers to appear in the late winter. Late frosts can damage the flowers.

Maintenance

Camellias have a slow growth rate. Typically they will grow about 30 centimetres a year until mature although this varies depending on variety and location.