Glossary

Species and cultivars

Name Description Photo
Camellia Japonica Coming from China, then Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. They are the most famous and are very popular. This specie regroups thousands cultivars of various flower sizes, foliage, habits and colors. Flowering during winter or spring. 'Rubescens Major'
Higo Camellia Coming form the old Japanese province of Higo (now Kumamoto), on the southern island of Kyushu, selected by lords of the Samuraï. They constitute a group of 120 cultivars inside Camellia Japonica. The flowers are always single and the stamens are proeminent. 'Shirataka'
Hybrid Coming from marriage between species, hybrids are recent (1930). Some are cold resistants. The form and color ranges are varied. Flowering during winter or spring. 'Ki-no-senritsu'
Hybrid C.x williamsii Hybrids 'williamsii' (coming from Camellia saluenensis and Camellia japonica) are named after the first European breeder, J.C. Williams. 'J.C. Williams'
Camellia Reticulata Coming from southwest of China, Yunnan. Very large flowers and hundreds of cultivars. Flowering during spring. For temperate climates. C. reticulata forma simplex
Hybrid C.reticulata By hybridization, the species C.reticulata has given hundreds of mostly spring-flowering cultivars. 'Fiesta Grande'
Wabisuke A group of small flowered camellias, very popular in Japan because of their small size. They are all descendants of 'Tarôkaja'. 'Tarôkaja'
Camellia Sasanqua Specie coming from Japan. Flowering in autumn. Often fragrant (smells jasmine tea). Camellia sasanqua gave hundreds of cultivars. 'Anna Dzofka'
Species Wild camellias. C. transnokoensis

Flower form or style

Name Description Photo
Single Five to eight petals in one row. 'Beatrice Michael'
Semi-double Two or more rows of large regular, irregular or loose outer petals (nine or more). With proeminent stamen. 'Dr Tinsley'
Rose-Form Double Petals are imbricated or overlapped as informal double, but opening to reveal stamen display in a concave center. 'Coquettii'
Formal Double Many rows of petals (sometimes more than a hundred), usually with central cone of tightly furled petals. 'Lavinia Maggi'
Peony Form or Informal Double A mass of raised petals with petaloids (parts of the flower that have assumed the appearance of small, narrow or twisted petals). 'Margaret Davis'
Anemone Form One or more layers of large outer petals with a mass of petaloids ans stamens in the center. 'Elegans'

Flower size

Name Description Photo
Miniature 3 to 6 cm 'Cinnamon Cindy'
Small 6 to 8 cm 'Grace Albritton'
Medium 8 to 10 cm 'Bonomiana'
Large 10 to 13 cm 'L.t. Dees'
Very Large Over 13 cm 'Moonlight Bay'

Color aspects

Name Description Photo
Graduated Shading The main color can shade from the center to the edge of the petal. The flowering can begin with a color (pink here) which shades and brightens as the flower opens out. 'Nuccio's Pearl'
Marginated white The flowers are bicolors. A dominant color (pink here) fills allmost all the petal surface. The edges have a thin white strip. 'Hikarugenji'
Marginated pink A variant of two-colored flower, mostly white and a thin pink strip on the periphery. 'Betty's Beauty'
Marginated red On this flower, a thicker red strip if added to the dominant white color. 'Navajo'
Striped white The petals have several colors. White stripes converge towards the center of the petal. Some have the term "Nishiki" in their name (ie ' Nishiki-kirin') to emphasis this characteristic. 'Orandakô'
Striped pink You can also find pink stripes. 'Lady Vansittart'
Striped red A last possibility on this flower, red stripes. Sometimes you can also find pink and red stripes on the same flower. 'Hanamigasa'
Blotched white The petals can be more or less blotched. This second hue, here white, contraste with the base color. The spots are more or less numerous and extended. 'Adolphe Audusson Variegated'
Blotched pink The petals can also be spotted pink. Note that the size and arrangement of spots varies from a camellia to another. 'Cochise'
Blotched red Spots can also be very discreet, here, the red spots are very small. 'Yuba-shibori'

Habits

Name Description Photo
Compact The plant is branched. Growing tall and wide. Suitable for hedging. Parco delle Camelie - Locarno - Suisse
Upright Pruning can help to develop a better-shaped plant. Locarno - Suisse
Bushy The plant is branched and dense, like a bush. Pruning can avoid overcrowding. Jardin des Plantes de Nantes
Slender The plant is narrow and columnar. Easy to train. For small area. Parco delle Camelie - Locarno - Suisse
Weeping With pendulous branches. 'Jean May'
Spreading Some plants have a tendency to spread instead of growing. Suitable for big area. 'Hinomaru'
Dwarf Suitable for bonsaï. Higo Camellia

Flowering season

Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere
Early October to January March to June
Mid-season January to March June to August
Late-season March to May August to October
Early to late November to April April to September