Pink Perfection camellia

Sun

Partial shade or bright, filtered light; protect from hot afternoon sun and exposed, drying sites.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but never waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially while flower buds develop in summer.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained acidic soil, ideally pH 5.5-6.5. Use ericaceous potting mix in containers where garden soil is alkaline.

Height

8-12 ft (2.4-3.7 m), eventually taller in favourable conditions

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Pale pink, formal double flowers in late winter to spring; usually February-April in the Northern Hemisphere and August-October in the Southern Hemisphere, depending on climate.

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy, dark green, leathery oval leaves with finely toothed edges.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.9 ft (0.89 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the top of the root ball level with, or slightly above, the surrounding soil; do not bury the stem base.
• Water deeply during dry weather, including summer when next season's flower buds are forming.
• Mulch with 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or fine bark, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed lightly with a camellia or ericaceous fertiliser after flowering, following the label; avoid late-season feeding.
• Use rainwater where possible if your tap water is hard, particularly for container plants.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches and shortening wayward shoots to a leafy side branch. Avoid routine hard clipping or pruning later in the year, which removes developing flower buds.

Spring

After flowering, prune only as needed and apply a light feed suitable for acid-loving shrubs.

Late spring

Refresh mulch and check the undersides of leaves for scale insects.

Summer

Water thoroughly during dry spells so developing flower buds do not dry out.

Autumn

Plant in mild regions while the soil is still warm; in colder areas, wait until spring.

Winter

Shelter container plants from severe frost and cold winds; check that their compost does not dry out.

Late winter to spring

Collect fallen flowers promptly, especially if petals show spreading brown patches.

• Use as an evergreen focal shrub beside a shaded entrance, with room for its mature width.
• Plant beneath an open tree canopy with ferns and hellebores for layered woodland planting.
• Combine with azaleas and pieris in an acidic-soil border for a sequence of spring flowers.
• Grow in a large container of ericaceous compost on a sheltered patio where garden soil is alkaline.

Garden styles it suits: Traditional, Romantic rose garden, Woodland, Japanese, Southern and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Japanese pieris, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Hellebores, Japanese painted fern and Hostas.

Wildlife: The dense evergreen growth offers shelter for small birds. Its tightly double flowers provide little accessible pollen or nectar compared with single-flowered camellias.

• Camellia petal blight: flowers develop rapidly spreading brown patches. Remove affected blooms and fallen petals promptly; replace contaminated surface mulch and avoid moving infected flower debris around the garden.
• Scale insects, including tea scale: pale mottling above and small scales beneath leaves indicate feeding. Prune badly affected shoots and use a labelled horticultural oil when temperatures and plant condition permit.
• Root rot: persistent wet soil causes yellowing, wilting and dieback. Improve drainage, keep the root collar exposed and avoid frequent shallow watering; badly affected plants may need replacement.
• Iron chlorosis: young leaves turn yellow while veins stay green, often in alkaline soil. Check soil pH, use rainwater where practical and move container plants into fresh ericaceous compost; chelated iron can give temporary relief.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as poisonous, although eating ornamental foliage or flowers may cause mild stomach upset.

• Sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua)

  Usually flowers in autumn to early winter, with smaller leaves and often looser flowers whose petals fall separately; Pink Perfection flowers later with densely packed, formal double blooms.

• Debutante camellia (Camellia japonica 'Debutante')

  Also has pale pink double flowers, but its peony-form blooms have a loose, ruffled centre rather than Pink Perfection's orderly overlapping petals.

Camellia honours the Jesuit naturalist Georg Joseph Kamel, while japonica means 'Japanese'.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and root them in an acidic, free-draining medium under humid conditions; rooting can be slow. Air layering is another option. Seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's flower form or colour.

Accepted botanical name

Camellia japonica

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Korea, Nansei-shoto and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 560 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.