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Camellia
Also called Camellias, Cammelias
Camellia is a genus of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the tea family, including the tea plant and the popular ornamental camellias. Key to success is acidic, humus-rich soil, steady moisture, and protection from drought.
Camellia ( or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species; almost all are found in southern China and Indochina. Camellias are popular ornamental, tea, and woody-oil plants cultivated worldwide for centuries. Over 26,000 cultivars, with more than 51,000 cultivar names, including synonyms, have been registered or published.
The leaves of C. sinensis are processed to create tea, and so are of particular economic importance in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, with the processed leaves widely sold and consumed globally. The ornamental C. japonica, C. sasanqua and their hybrids are the source of hundreds of garden cultivars. C. oleifera produces tea seed oil, used in cooking and cosmetics.
The various species of Camellia plants are generally well-adapted to acid soils rich in humus, and most species do not grow well on chalky soil or other calcium-rich soils. Most species of camellias also require a large amount of water, either from natural rainfall or from irrigation, and the plants will not tolerate droughts. However, some of the more unusual camellias – typically species from karst soils in Vietnam – can grow without too much water.
Camellia plants are generally considered slow growing. This slow growth rate makes them well-suited for growing in pots or tubs, and they don't require frequent pruning. While some varieties may grow more quickly than others, particularly when young, the overall growth rate of most camellias is relatively slow. Typically, they will grow about 30 cm (12 in) per year until mature – however, this varies depending on their variety and geographical location.
Species of Camellia occur in the moist or dry, temperate to tropical forests of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam at elevations of 0–3200 m above sea level. In deforested areas, Camellia may persist as shrubs in meadows and pastures.
Hong Kong Camellia · Camellia · Tea Oil Plant · Camellia petelotii · To-tsubaki · Sasanqua camellia · Tea · Camellia taliensis · Camellia ×williamsii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Camellia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
