Camellia - flowering tea bushes. Camellia home: what it looks like and how to care

Camellia is a well-known capricious, but very good! The spectacular crown of dark green leathery, as if varnished, camellia leaves with wonderful flowers of a rich palette of colors fits into any interior; the openwork tree is beautiful and without flowers. Flower growers are especially pleased that the abundant long flowering of camellia occurs in the darkest and coldest months of the year - from November to April. elegant large flowers with dense "wax" petals are odorless.

Camellia (Camellia) of the Tea family is an evergreen flowering shrub or tree native to subtropical zones. South-East Asia. 80 species are known in the world flora; there are many cultural forms that decorate gardens and parks with their flowers warm countries. AT open field most often grown Japanese camellia (C.japonica), mountain camellia or sasanqua (C. sasanqua), netted camellia (C. reticulata); their decorative forms and varieties are very popular.

In cool greenhouses and rooms, especially valuable Japanese camellia and slow-growing, more stable mountain camellia with hanging shoots are grown. In closed ground, a camellia tree, with many years of caring care, can reach a height of four meters, becoming more and more magnificent every year. Breeders have created more than 1000 varieties of camellia with a variety of colors and shades of simple, semi-double and double flowers: pure white, pink, salmon, red; there are even variegated specimens (with contrasting spots, stripes or a border on the petals). The size of camellia flowers depends on the variety; usually their diameter ranges from 4-10 cm.

Camellia is considered one of the most difficult indoor plants to grow. She needs a cool and bright (but protected from direct sunlight) place, regular watering and spraying. Only for the laying of camellia flower buds, a high temperature (20-25 degrees) is needed; for ripening buds - no higher than 15 degrees; during the flowering period, the optimum temperature is 8-10 (not higher than 12) degrees. When watering and spraying camellias, lime water should not be used, only soft water is used. The soil in a camellia pot should be evenly moist; neither overdrying nor waterlogging of the substrate should be allowed.

In winter, camellia leaves and buds are sprayed daily (without moistening blooming flowers). Experts advise: after flowering, it is better to leave the camellia in the room and water it abundantly, and on open air(in a semi-shady place) expose only after the end of the new growth (in June-July). At the same time, the watering of the camellia sharply decreases: it is watered only after the beginning of the drooping of young leaves (to prevent the growth of new leaves and promote the formation of buds). In the morning and evening, the camellia crown is sprayed. From the moment the formation of new shoots begins until the end of July, camellias need mineral and organic top dressing. In August, top dressing is stopped, which contributes to the laying of flower buds.

After the appearance of the buds, abundant watering of the camellia is resumed. It is recommended to leave 1-2 of the strongest buds at the end of each shoot, and remove the rest (at the same time, buds fall less, develop more beautiful flowers). In late summer - early autumn, camellia is brought into a cool, bright room and placed next to the window.
During budding, it is not recommended to move the camellia pot, this can cause the buds to fall off. Buds also fall due to drying out or waterlogging of the soil (stagnant moisture), from the use of hard water for irrigation. Camellia suffers from too high a temperature, from dry air in a room, from sudden changes in temperature - it drops not only buds, but also leaves.

Camellias are usually not pruned, if necessary, pruning is done before transplanting; cut cuttings can be rooted. Camellia is transplanted every 2 years after the end of flowering or in summer (but not later than the end of July). The substrate for camellias is made up of a mixture of: leaf, peat, sod, coniferous soil and sand (2:2:2:2:1); the soil must be acidic.

Camellia is propagated by apical cuttings (with olive color shoots); with lower heating, rooting takes 2 months. The cuttings are rooted in a mixture of equal parts of trophy soil and sand, or in pure sand.

It is necessary to regularly inspect the camellia and timely deal with pests: aphids, mealy and root bugs, scale insects. Various fungal diseases cause leaf spot in camellia.

Article "Camellia": addition and discussion

*** Camellia is a well-known capricious, but very good! ***
Camellia is not capricious, but she gained a reputation for capriciousness due to attempts to grow her in room conditions without knowledge of typical mistakes (deep planting, warm winter, waterlogging, heavy soil mixture, overfertilization).

*** A spectacular crown of dark green leathery, as if varnished, camellia leaves with wonderful flowers of a rich palette of colors fits into any interior; the openwork tree is beautiful and without flowers. ***
The color range of the most common camellias Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua and Camellia reticulata is between red, pink and white, although there is an almost yellowish Dahlonega and yellow wild Camellia chrysanta (Camellia nitidissima, discovered 20 years ago.

*** Florists are especially pleased that the abundant long flowering of camellia occurs in the darkest and coldest months of the year - from November to April. ***
This is true for Camellia japonica. But the species Camellia sasanqua (Japanese for "carp") blooms in my garden from early September to late January.

*** Elegant large flowers with dense "wax" petals are odorless.***
This is true for most varieties of most species. But some varieties of the species Camellia sasanqua have a faint tea smell. Wild Camellia lutchuensis has a fairly distinct smell. Some hybrids have been created based on C. lutchuensis. There are exceptions even among varieties of the Camellia japonica species, such as "Scentation".

*** Camellia (Camellia) of the Tea family is an evergreen flowering shrub or tree native to the subtropical zones of Southeast Asia. ***
Camellias grow in most of Japan and can withstand light frosts. In America, camellias grow even in the states of Oregon and Washington (not to be confused with the city of Washington, this is at the other end of the country), which are by no means subtropics, although the influence of the Pacific Ocean maintains a mild climate there. Hardy camellias grow in the city of Washington, although, for example, the harsh winters of 1977-1978 destroyed most of the camellias there.
The species Camellia sasanqua grows in southern Japan (near Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and on the islands of the Ryukyu archipelago. Reticulata (Camellia reticulata) grows in southern China.
In Europe, camellias grow in all Mediterranean countries, as well as in southern England, for example, in London.
Those. Camellias, of course, are rather subtropical plants, but they can also grow somewhat to the north. Camellias practically do not grow in tropical climates. When camellias grow in Thailand and similar places, they tend to grow in the mountains where it is cooler.

*** 80 species of camellia are known in the world flora ***
More than 200 species have already been found, if not 300.

*** There are many cultural forms that adorn the gardens and parks of warm countries with their flowers. In the open ground most often grown camellia Japanese (C.japonica), mountain camellia or sasanqua (C. sasanqua), camellia mesh (C. reticulata); their decorative forms and varieties are very popular. ***
C. sasanqua is called "sazanka" in Japanese, an archaic Japanese pronunciation of "sasanqua". The Americans call her "sasanka".

*** Especially valuable Japanese camellia is grown in cool greenhouses and rooms ***
I would not say that the Japanese camellia is "especially valuable." This is a stereotypical perception according to European taste. It's better to say "most common". There are many beautiful reticulata that grow in the monasteries of southern China, and there are also hobbyists like me who value carp more than C. japonica.

*** ...and the slower growing, more resistant mountain camellia with trailing shoots. ***
This is not clear where the assertion comes from. Camellia sasanqua is by no means "with hanging shoots". There are several varieties with hanging shoots, such as the variety "Tanya" (Tanya). Interestingly, this name has nothing to do with the Russian name "Tanya", but is a Japanese word for Japanese classical drama.
But most varieties of Camellia sasanqua grow into a straight shrub or tree.

*** Indoors, a camellia tree, with many years of caring care, can reach a height of four meters, becoming more and more magnificent every year. ***
There are camellias much higher. According to the seminal book Sealy, there are camellias 50 feet tall (more than 15 meters), although these are hundreds of years old in the open field.

*** Breeders have created more than 1000 varieties of camellia ***
The International Camellia Society indicates the figure of 32 thousand, although several thousand are actually used.

*** ... with a variety of colors and shades of simple, semi-double and double flowers: pure white, pink, salmon, red; there are even variegated specimens (with contrasting spots, stripes or a border on the petals). ***
There are wild yellow camellias.

*** The size of camellia flowers depends on the variety; usually their diameter ranges from 4-10 centimeters. ***
There are varieties of the species Camellia reticulata more than 20 centimeters in diameter, even without gibberellin treatment. And when processing buds with gibberellin, you can get even more.

*** Camellia is considered one of the most difficult indoor plants to grow. ***
Well, of course, because it's not indoor plant- the battery will kill her in the room central heating in winter.

*** She needs a cool and bright (but protected from direct sunlight) place ***
C. sasanqua can withstand any amount of sun, although C. japonica does require
penumbra.

***… regular watering and spraying. ***
Camellia in the open air can not be sprayed. California has very dry air, but this is not a problem for camellia (although, on the other hand, the ocean is relatively close).

*** Only for the laying of camellia flower buds, a high temperature is needed (20-25 degrees); for ripening buds - no higher than 15 degrees; during the flowering period, the optimum temperature is 8-10 (not higher than 12) degrees. When watering and spraying camellias, lime water should not be used, only soft water is used. The soil in a camellia pot should be evenly moist; neither overdrying nor waterlogging of the substrate should be allowed.***
This is all correct.

*** In winter, the leaves and buds of camellias are sprayed daily (without moistening the blooming flowers).***
See above.

*** Experts advise: after flowering, it is better to leave the camellia in the room and water it abundantly, and expose it to the open air (in a semi-shady place) only after the end of the new growth (in June-July). ***
I do not know under what conditions this advice was made.

*** ... at the same time, the watering of the camellia sharply decreases: it is watered only after the beginning of the drooping of young leaves (to prevent the growth of new leaves and promote the establishment of buds). ***
If the camellia is dried out in the summer, its roots will die from drying out. Although this is less tragic than waterlogging. Perhaps the advice was made for growing in relatively heavy soil that retains moisture for a long time. With the right light earth mixture, it is difficult to overmoisten the camellia.

*** In the morning and in the evening, the camellia crown is sprayed. From the moment the formation of new shoots begins until the end of July, camellias need mineral and organic top dressing. In August, top dressing is stopped, which contributes to the laying of flower buds. After the appearance of the buds, abundant watering of the camellia is resumed. It is recommended to leave 1-2 strongest buds at the end of each shoot, and remove the rest (at the same time, buds fall less, more beautiful flowers develop). In late summer - early autumn, camellia is brought into a cool, bright room and placed next to the window. ***
It is right.

*** During budding, it is not recommended to move the camellia pot, this can cause the buds to fall off. ***
It is a mystery to me where such an often repeated opinion in Russia came from. At the end of the laying of camellia buds, for example, they are transported to all states to be sold in stores. I've never seen buds drop from a rearrangement. During flowering, camellias are transplanted. From this, the buds also do not fall off, since during flowering (in winter) the plant is biologically in a dormant period.

*** The buds also fall off due to drying out or waterlogging of the soil (stagnant moisture), from the use of hard water for irrigation. Camellia suffers from too high a temperature, from dry air in a room, from sudden changes in temperature - it drops not only buds, but also leaves. ***
In general, correct, but what kind of sharp fluctuations in temperature are we talking about? My winter temperature fluctuates during the day from +5 Celsius at night to +15 during the day, often fluctuating more.

*** Camellias are not usually pruned, ***
Camellias are usually pruned after flowering but before spring growth begins. Many cut a third of the branches every two years. If desired, you can cut 2/3. Varieties of the species C. reticulata should be pruned very carefully and less. Carp can be trimmed even more than Japanese camellias.

*** ... if necessary, pruning is done before transplanting ***
It is really good to prune when transplanting camellias, as damaged roots may not fully feed the crown and some branches may dry out, especially if transplanted at the end of winter, and not at the beginning.

*** ... cut cuttings can be rooted. ***
This is certainly true, but if you want to root cuttings on a massive scale, then they need to be removed around July. This is how they do it in floriculture.

*** Camellia is transplanted every 2 years after the end of flowering or in summer (but not later than the end of July). ***
After the end of flowering, camellias begin to grow (in April). At this time, it is already too late to transplant. In July, the second wave of growth occurs, when it is also better not to transplant. Camellias are transplanted in winter. Although if the camellia is transplanted at another time, it will most likely survive. But a camellia transplanted in the middle of spring growth can stop and go into a bad state.

*** Camellia is propagated by apical cuttings (with olive-colored shoots); with lower heating, rooting takes 2 months. The cuttings are rooted in a mixture of equal parts of trophy soil and sand, or in pure sand. ***
In principle, cuttings can be rooted when they lose their olive color. 2 months cuttings take root in the summer. Autumn cuttings take much longer to root.

*** It is necessary to regularly inspect the camellia and timely deal with pests: aphids, mealy and root bugs, scale insects. ***
The worst one is the spider mite.

*** Various fungal diseases cause leaf spot in camellias. ***
But this is an interesting question. Sometimes spotted leaves and flowers (varigation) is a specially caused and relatively harmless viral infection, which is used to obtain decorative spotted flowers that the Japanese love. Infection is carried out by grafting onto an infected rootstock. Some cultivars are simply variegated versions of other cultivars. For example Waltz Time - pink, Waltz Time Varigated - pink with spots.

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What is camellia and where does it grow and how does it smell

To Amelia, - this wonderful in its form, in beauty, as if made of wax petals and smooth, shiny dark green thick leaves, the flower has some kind of lifeless appearance - as if artificially made plant.

It both seduces and repels at the same time.

Everyone considers him beautiful, but soulless - an emblem of coldness of feelings and callousness, an emblem of those beautiful, but heartless women who, not loving, lure, ruin and destroy young people and who are therefore called by his name.

This name, however, does not come directly from the flower, but from the heroine of the well-known novel by A. Dumas-son “The Lady of the Camellias”.

Who has not read this delightful work in his youth? Who was not fond of his heroine Marguerite Gauthier, did not admire her heroic selfless deed, when, loving a person with all her soul, she decides to part with him and run away only to calm his aged father, who begged her not to ruin her son's future?

Her severe illness that led to the grave, her touching death away from her loved one, whom she wanted to look at at least once again, make an amazing impression on the reader - especially since the novel is based on a true story in which, let's say, by the way, our flower played not the last role.

The real name of Marguerite Gauthier, as you know, is Marie Duplessis. She was an outstanding beauty, who was fond of all of Paris and who was known even to people who had nothing to do with her - by a bouquet of wonderful camellias, without which she never appeared in the days of the first performances in theaters.

At the same time, camellias were not always the same color. Twenty-five days in the month they were white and 5 days red. What was the reason for this, no one knew, and she remained a secret that Marie Duplessis took with her to the grave.

Marie Duplessis did not like any other colors and never wore them. Blooming camellias constantly cleaned all her rooms, and especially the boudoir.

Such a constant passion for these flowers made her florist, Mme. Bargy, call her "La dame aux camelias" (the lady with camellias) - so the whole secular Paris dubbed her. The nickname then passed to all rich beautiful women who captivate secular youth.

These flowers did not leave Marie Duplessis even after her death. Her entire coffin was strewn with camellias and overlaid with luxurious wreaths of them. The charm and beauty of this decoration had such an effect on the large audience gathered for the funeral, especially on the ladies, that for a whole year after her death, it even became fashionable among wealthy Parisians to go to the Montmartre cemetery to her grave and decorate it with bouquets, wreaths and flowering bushes. camellias. And one of her friends, who was absent during the funeral, wrote a poem in her memory and laid it on her grave, surrounding it with a garland of marvelous red camellias.

When this enthusiasm of the public began to cool little by little, then recovering from the terrible shock produced on him by the dying letter of poor Marie Duplessis, Armand Duval, the same young man, out of hopeless love for whom she tried to shorten her bitter life, covered her entire grave with camellias.

This grave was both in summer and in winter a parterre of camellias completely dotted with white flowers, among which only a small white marble slab was visible, on which her name was inscribed. The gardener attending the grave was strictly ordered to keep an eye on the flowers and, as soon as any of them withered, immediately, no matter what the cost, replace them with fresh ones.

Among the regular visitors to this grave was, as they say, Alexander Dumas himself, the son, and the touching novel he wrote made such a strong impression on the famous Italian composer Verdi that he composed the famous opera La Traviata based on its plot, which is still one of the most beloved in all countries and almost never leaves the stage.

About the appearance of the camellia on earth, we find in Mantegazza in his fairy tales about flowers the following original fantastic story:

“Once the god of love Cupid, who was bored with the love of the goddesses of Olympus and all earthly women, turned to his mother Venus with a request to find him a creature with whom he could be carried away.

Venus was surprised at first: how could he not find on earth among so many lovely mortals not a single one worthy of love, but then, thinking it over, she said:

“Well, if there is no woman on earth that you could like, then try it, fly to some other world, to another planet.”

Amur liked this idea very much, and without thinking twice, he immediately set off on his journey.

The planet he landed on was Saturn. At the moment when he sank down on her, a chorus of wonderful angelic voices was heard. These sounds rushed from a lovely transparent, blue, like a sapphire, lake surrounded on all sides by high, intricately indented ice hills, the banks of which were strewn with freshly fallen snow shining like silver.

Nowhere to be seen bright colors, no green leaves - everything is white as snow, and even the plants that grew right there on the shore, similar to ferns and palm trees, were as if made of ice and sparkled and shone with all the colors of the rainbow, as if showered with the dust of millions of tiny diamonds.

Wonderful sounds rushed from the breasts of numerous people sitting among the ice rocks. beautiful women. These women were unlike any he had seen on earth. Their body was white, fluffy as snow, long silvery hair fell to their shoulders, and light blue eyes shone like sapphire.

Cupid was amazed. He had never seen anything like it. In addition, these original creatures did not even seem to notice the terrible cold that reigned around them.

These strange creatures sang:

“Praise be to You, Lord, great praise that You gave us a body of ice. Ice moderates all desires, calms passions and extinguishes any flame.

Great praise to the snow, the brother of ice. Hosanna to frost, to his son, Hosanna to the creator of ice, which makes the soul transparent and delays all decay. Hosanna to the enemy of death!”

Having sung these stanzas, the women lowered the ice harps that served them as an accompaniment and fixed their eyes on Cupid, who was as beautiful as anyone they had ever seen before. But his wonderful beauty had no effect on them. They admired him, seemed to be amazed by him, but they were not carried away. In vain, Cupid, grabbing a quiver of his miraculous arrows, began to shoot them at these lovely women. He spent them all, but not a single one struck their hearts: everyone remained cold to him like ice.

Then in despair he rushed again to his mother Venus, exclaiming:

“Mother, mother, where did you send me? Here everything is made of ice: both flowers, and trees, and even the very souls of women; they are not able not only to love, but even to be carried away. Such indifference deserves exemplary punishment. And from his impotence he wept and sobbed.

Then, outraged by such uncharacteristic women, heartlessness, Venus exclaimed:

“You are quite right, my son, calm down and do not be sad, these insensitive creatures are not worthy of being women, as a punishment, let them immediately descend to the ground and turn into flowers. »

And these lovely, but soulless creatures turned into camellias. Wonderful white, pink, bright red, they have neither smell nor tenderness. Not a single girl decorates herself with them, not a single clean young man wears them in a boutonniere ... "

Camellia is a Japanese flower and is called “yabu-tsubah” in Japan, and among the Chinese “son-tsfa” - “mountain tea”. Its homeland is the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku and some provinces of Japan, where it grows in the form of a large shrub or tree in the mountains 800 or more feet 1 above sea level and sometimes reaches 10 - 20 feet in height.

Its branches covered with wonderful, evergreen, non-falling leaves are used in Japan, according to folk custom, all year round to decorate graves in cemeteries. When the time comes for its flowering, a festival of lanterns is held in Japanese temples.

Then all the graves are covered with flowering branches of camellias and, starting in the evening, throughout the night, they are illuminated with small lanterns. This holiday lasts for several days, and at this time felled camellia trees are brought to the cities from the villages in bloom, like we have Christmas trees at Christmas, and they are sold in the markets. This brings a significant income to the peasants.

It is remarkable that something similar is happening in some cities of southern Germany, especially on the Rhine, where on the day of remembrance of all the dead (November 2), graves in cemeteries are also illuminated at night with lit candles and cleaned with flowers blooming at that time. It is interesting to know how this ancient Oriental custom was transferred here, the purpose of which, both here and there, is to show symbolically the love of the living for the dear dead.

Trees and bushes of camellias are also planted in Japan in the groves surrounding temples, as well as in the gardens of wealthy people, and when during flowering these trees and bushes are covered with thousands of bright red, pure white, pink and variegated flowers made of wax, then the spectacle is indescribable. Particularly original are those trees that, by grafting different varieties on one tree (in which the Japanese are especially skillful), are covered with flowers of various colors and shades. Camellias cultivated in this way bloom a little later, but they bloom much longer.

Camellias are a favorite flower not only in Japan, but also in China. As a result, there is a constant exchange and trade between countries with new varieties of this plant, and not only gardeners, but also settlers in general are engaged in cultivating it on a large scale - they often have whole tithes on flat areas 2, occupied by nurseries of small camellia trees.

The development of camellia culture in these countries is greatly facilitated by the reigning fashion there, like ours, for the color and shape of camellia flowers: sometimes large white, sometimes small, sometimes white, mottled with red stripes.

Camellia is cultivated here not only for its flowers, but also for its by-products. Oil is squeezed out of its seeds, which, mixed with laurel and geranium oils, is used to prepare the thinnest Japanese lipsticks; a decoction of its leaves, differing, like the leaves of tea camellia (C. sasanqua), with a remarkably pleasant smell, serves as an excellent elixir for washing hair, giving that wonderful shine and silkiness, which, as you know, distinguish the hair of Japanese women; the bark of the roots is used as an excellent medicine for bloody diarrhea, and the hard tree itself is used for cutting and turning those small, elegant little things in the manufacture of which the Japanese and Chinese are so skillful; finally, old trees go directly to fuel, as is practiced, for example, in the southern provinces of Japan, and especially in Nagasaki.

Camellia was introduced to Europe in 1738 by a Jesuit monk, Father Joseph Kamel, who lived for a long time as a missionary in the Philippine Islands; from his name the plant got its name.

The first two specimens of this plant he brought were sold to the great London plant lover Lord Petra, who hastened to transfer these precious plants to his greenhouses in Soriden Hall. But his gardener did not know the living conditions of this plant in his homeland, he placed them in an overly warm compartment, and both trees died. Disappointed by the failure, this gardener named John Gordon decided to get the plant at all costs, to try to cultivate it in other conditions. His wish came true in 1740. This time he placed the specimens he received in a cold greenhouse and got a brilliant result. Camellia not only grew well, but also bloomed. It was a tea camellia (Cam. sasanqua) - the same one whose fragrant flowers are mixed into tea to enhance the aroma.

According to another version, the camellia bushes brought by Kamel were presented to the wife of the king of Spain, Ferdinand V, who, like the king himself, was delighted with the flowers. She immediately handed them over to the experienced gardener of her country palace Buen Retiro and ordered that every effort be made to preserve this plant and make it bloom.

The gardener really made an effort, and soon the gardens of Buen Retiro were filled with camellia bushes, which presented a marvelous picture during flowering.

But the king and queen so jealously guarded this novelty that they strictly forbade it from being taken out of Buen Retiro. The same opinion was shared by their heirs, so that the lovely flower, being in the palace gardens of Spain for more than 60 years, remained completely unknown to Europe.

The real decorative camellia (C. japonica) was obtained in Europe only at the end of the 18th century.

It was white as silver camellia. The first to receive it was the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. Delighted by this charming flower, she showed it to her husband, who also found it charming. The plant was transferred to greenhouses and soon grew there very quickly.

The first individual to receive it was Van Cassel, founder of the Royal Society of Agriculture in Ghent, Belgium. But he, hiding his treasure from all lovers for a long time in his huge hot greenhouse, was unable to breed it or ennoble it.

More happy was another Belgian lover - Van Westen, who brought this type of camellia to flowering.

The lovely flowers of the Japanese camellia led all lovers into indescribable delight, and now everyone tried to somehow get a cutting of this marvelous plant and get it out.

About what terrible money amateurs had to pay for these cuttings, there is nothing to say. A wealthy baker in Ghent - Mortier, for example, bought up all the specimens of this plant that he could get, and, carefully studying the best methods of grafting, received several remarkable hybrids, of which a pink variety stood out, called "Maiden blush" (maiden's blood ).

Since then, the city of Ghent has become a supplier of camellias to all European countries and has remained so for more than 50 years.

The general fascination with this lovely flower was not long in being reflected in modern literature.

The Belgian poet Norbert Cornelissen, famous at that time, wrote in 1820 about the appearance of camellia in Europe a poetic tale under the playful title "On the fate of the camellia in Europe, a poetic joke."

The action takes place on Olympus, where the gods were distinguished by no less weaknesses and enthusiasm than mere mortals. Cupid gossiped about his mother Venus, who, having lost her temper, ordered the Graces, who played the role of his nannies, to flog him to the point of bleeding with rods of roses. Let him, she said, linger on the memory of inappropriate talkativeness.

Upon learning of the danger that threatened him, Cupid rushed headlong to the goddess Flora and began to beg her to either completely save him from such a shameful punishment, or at least somehow weaken him. Then Flora called Zephyr (light wind) to her and ordered he should fly to Japan as soon as possible and bring a Japanese rose from there.

You'll recognize her, she said, "now." Its branches are covered with lovely shiny emerald green leaves; the flowers are similar to the color of a wild rose and smell pleasant; but the plant is devoid of thorns, and he who tears it is not in danger of pricking his hands. The gods called her "Anacanthis" (devoid of thorns), and the people - "Sasanqua" (Sasanqua).

Without thinking twice, Zephyr set off and after a few hours brought the required plant. It was all richly covered with flowers. When Flora gave it to the Graces as a rod intended for Cupid, they smiled and, admiring him, adorned themselves with his flowers. But there was nothing to be done, it was necessary to begin to carry out the punishment, and they punished so gently that not the slightest scratch remained on Cupid's body.

Upon learning of this, Venus was terribly angry; but what was to be done? the naughty one was nevertheless punished, as she ordered, with rods of roses, but only the roses were without thorns. And so she transferred all her anger to the plant and deprived it of its wonderful smell and ordered it to grow always only in Japan.

And since then, this rose remained unattainable either for the Graces or for the Muses, until the Jesuit Kamel finally pulled it out of a heavy captivity. Having brought her to Europe, however, he could not return to her the already lost smell, and the wonderful flower remained forever deprived of this wonderful gift of the gods.

Camellia appeared in France in 1780 and was at first taken for a tea plant 3 . Its first copies in color were sent here only in 1800.

These copies were received by the first wife of Napoleon I, Empress Josephine, from the Dutch merchant and great lover of flowers, Van Gerd, in gratitude for the patronage of the Dutch trade. One plant had red flowers, another? white.

AT next year the same van Gerd sent the empress even more of these plants to her favorite botanical garden in the castle of Malmaison, and the empress, who was fond of rare plants like a true lover, looked after them and took care of them like children. The camellias were beautifully received by her and every year they were abundantly covered with lovely flowers.

A few years later, at the gardener Courton in Paris, the camellias bloomed so magnificently that the whole city flocked to him to see them. They were huge trees, 25 feet high; the largest of them were presented to him by the Empress, who not only enjoyed the flowering of this plant herself, but also always tried to spread love for him among other lovers.

Distributing, however, her camellias to lovers, the Empress Josephine nevertheless kept the best ones for herself, and when, after her death, according to her will, all her property located in Malmaison was sold for the benefit of the poor, more than 20,000 francs were received for camellias, which for that time was a very impressive amount.

A great lover and admirer of camellias was also the famous singer Adeline Patti. At first she was very fond of red roses and wore them constantly on her head. But then, having received such a huge success in La Traviata, she changed the rose and remained faithful to the already red camellia.

She not only liked to pin it on her chest and decorate her hair with it, but she always appeared at the theater with a bouquet of camellias, and all the rooms of her luxurious premises during the flowering of camellias were often cleaned with whole flowering trees and bushes of this plant.

From France, the camellia was transferred to Germany, but for a long time it was considered a great rarity there, which is best shown, for example, by the price of a bouquet of camellias presented by Prince Henry of Prussia to his wife on the day of their marriage anniversary. The camellias of this bouquet, grown in the greenhouses of the Margrave of Baden, cost two chervonets apiece.

In the middle of the 19th century, camellias appeared in Russia, and above all, of course, in St. Petersburg. Countess Nesselrode was especially fond of them, in whose greenhouses a whole forest of them was collected. When these camellias were in bloom, all the high society of St. Petersburg went to the greenhouses of Nesselrode to see them.

In general, this flower was used by us for the first time big love, and often, in order to decorate their ball gown, hairstyle or have a bouquet made from them, they spent 300 ? 400 or more rubles in one evening.

But the most important place for breeding camellias in Europe? Northern Italy, where in the town of Tremesine on Lake Como you can find entire forests of this plant. Their good growth and development is especially favored by the excellent local red-brown soddy soil.

The camellia trees growing here right in the air in a favorable climate reach enormous growth and, being covered in fabulous numbers with the most luxurious flowers, represent for tourists visiting this place one of the most charming pictures of nature that one can imagine.

The main flowering, depending on the weather, begins in mid-March or early April and lasts until May. And then the camellia forests are so abundantly flooded with their flowers, like our cherry orchards in spring. Camellias are propagated here not only by cuttings, but also by seeds that ripen in this fertile climate. Thanks to this breeding by seeds, a mass of hybrids is always obtained, and some of them are remarkably beautiful.

In addition, another, original breeding of camellias is carried out here; using leaves that are stuck directly into the ground.

As a rule, in other countries this kind of reproduction takes a rather long time, but in Tremesin, thanks to the excellent climate and the special dexterity of Italian gardeners, it moves very quickly.

In addition to obtaining new varieties of camellias by sowing random seeds, they can also be obtained, of course, as in all plants, with the help of special cross-pollination, ? with camellias this is especially easy to produce, since their pollen tends to keep fresh for an unusually long time.

Hagen in Ghent, who made a series of experiments on this, wore it in a piece of paper for 65 days and obtained very good results when pollinated; experiments have shown that it can retain its strength even for two years.

The main color of camellias, as you know, is white and bright red, but gardeners, having received all the shades possible between these two colors, were not satisfied with them and wanted to achieve more yellow and yellow at all costs. of blue color. They partially succeeded in this: the yellow camellia was brought from China in 1860 by the English explorer Fortune. At first, this camellia did not bloom for a long time, but when it bloomed, it turned out to be a terry variety of Cam. sasanqua? and consequently, in terms of the size of the flower, it was far inferior to the Japanese. As for the blue camellia, despite all attempts, it remained in the realm of fantasy.

Thanks to these varieties of camellia, many of her fans appeared among gardening lovers? at one time they began to be almost as fond of it as in the old days? tulips. Merchants, of course, did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity to profit, and began to trade both imaginary new varieties and offshoots from them.

The famous French writer and at the same time a passionate lover of floriculture, Alphonse Carr, left a description of one process that took place in Paris regarding two such new varieties of camellias sent from America by one florist, for which the buyer, according to only their image sent, undertook to pay 11,000 francs . However, when specimens of these varieties arrived and bloomed, it turned out that the drawings were far from true, and then the gardener who wrote them out refused to pay this huge amount. A lawsuit began, but the court sided with the American, and the gardener had to satisfy the claim.

Meanwhile, the magazines wrote so much about it and the public became so interested in these flowers that when these plants were exhibited in full bloom in the winter garden in the Champs Elysees, all Paris rushed there to see them.

Then the quick-witted gardener doubled the entrance fee and sold these flowers at a high price and got over 4,000 francs for them, so that all taken together covered almost the entire amount he paid in court.

Another example of the fascination of lovers of camellias is the story that happened in the middle of the last century with one variety of camellias, acquired by Verschafelt 4 in Ghent for 1,000 francs and called "Queen Victoria".

This wonderful variety had huge, two and a half inches 5 in diameter, flowers ...

The public and gardeners from everywhere came to look at the wonderful variety.

And so, in order to cover his expenses and at the same time please amateurs, Verschafelt invented a kind of win-win lottery. He issued 10 shares, for 250 francs each, and for each share there were 10 varieties of camellias, one of which was necessarily layering from the Queen Victoria variety. These 10 shares were immediately sold out. Then he issued another 100 of these shares, and they were just as quickly sorted out. Of these, 33 were purchased by the city of Ghent itself, 60? Belgian gardeners, and the rest dispersed all over the world. So in a short time this camellia brought the owner 15,000 francs, and in his possession there was also the most uterine copy.

Many of the camellias bred in Europe have taken root so well here that they have been growing for decades right in the gardens, annually covered with a mass of flowers. Among them is the famous camellia, growing in the garden of the country palace of the King of Saxony near Dresden.

This camellia was brought from Japan back in 1739, and for about 175 years, covered only slightly for the winter, it grows here and is strewn with a mass of lovely flowers every year. Its trunk has more than 2 arshins in girth.

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Camellia - a plant for the garden and apartment

Camellia- this is a beautiful, decorative, evergreen plant that can withstand fairly low temperatures and blooms from autumn to spring, making this plant very loved by gardeners and flower growers in our country. The dense shiny dark green foliage of this plant always adorns the garden with dignity. In addition, camellia can also be grown at home as a pot crop.

Camellia is native to Japan, China and Vietnam, where it grows in foothill and coastal forests.

Camellia has been known for a long time. The first mention of camellia is found in written sources and dates back to 1725 BC. In Europe, the most common and well-known type of camellia is camellia japonica(Camelia japonica) only came into existence in the 18th century, and by the 19th century many hybrid forms had been bred in various colors, sizes and shapes.

Camellia flowers come in a variety of colors: white, cream, from pale pink to deep red, as well as a rare yellow color. Flowers vary in size from 6 to 12 cm in diameter. There are 6 forms of camellia flowers: simple, semi-double, anemone-shaped, peony-shaped, pink-shaped terry and symmetrical and terry.

Camellias grow in a temperate and humid climate, have good winter hardiness (some species can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees). Light or sparse shade - the best suited for camellias, and in areas with hot summers, camellias should generally be grown in the shade. You can plant a camellia next to a fence or wall, or next to a larger plant to cover it from the bright sun and give it shade. In order for the buds to form well and quickly, it is necessary to provide the plant with coolness and a short daylight hours. For example, in England, due to suitable wet and foggy weather, camellias can be found in almost every garden.

The soil for camellias should be acidic, Camellia japonica is especially demanding in this sense. Camellia needs moist soil, with large quantity humus and very good water permeability. When planting, the plant should not be deeply buried: the root neck should be flush with the ground. Camellia does not like calcareous soils and salt marshes, so it is better for her to take not garden soil, but forest soil from under heather bushes and coniferous trees, high-moor peat, depleted in calcium. With an increase in soil acidity, camellia does not absorb iron well and there is a risk of chlorosis - yellowing and falling of leaves. From the presence of excess calcium in the soil, camellia sheds buds.

You can fertilize camellia from spring to mid-summer. Good results are obtained by feeding with granular chicken manure once a year no later than mid-summer. In the spring, it is necessary to mulch with leaf humus or tree bark, which provide an acidic soil reaction and retain moisture at the plant roots during the summer.

Growing camellias in an apartment

Camellias can be successfully grown in containers as home plant. Camellia Care in a tub is practically no different from caring for a camellia in the garden. It is important to have acidic structural permeable soil, light and temperature conditions (coolness is required during the cold season), as well as maintaining a high level of humidity around the plant. Warm winter apartments are completely unsuitable for camellias. if you have glazed balcony, where the temperature in winter does not rise above 15 degrees of heat and does not fall below 10 degrees of frost, then in winter its place is there. In the summer, camellia can survive the heat if it is provided with abundant watering, spraying and shade during hot hours. If you live in country house, then tubed camellias can spend most of their lives on the patio, moving to an insulated greenhouse, greenhouse or cool terrace only during the coldest winter months.

The best water for watering camellias is rain or condensate from the refrigerator or water that has been settled for 3 days, with a pinch of soda added. To ensure constant moisture at the roots, use hydrogel, which must be mixed with the soil at the time of planting. The frequency of watering depends on the mechanical composition of the soil - if good drainage is laid in the pot, and the soil is moisture-intensive and light, you can often water it in small portions. If the soil is heavy with poor drainage, it should be watered carefully, avoiding dampness in the pot. The main thing is that the soil does not dry out and is not waterlogged. Good moisture is especially important for camellias in the fall, when bud formation occurs.

You can fertilize camellias in the spring - during the period of active growth, applying fertilizers in very small doses. It is not recommended to use manure, as it salinizes soils, especially heavy ones. It is better to buy special fertilizers for acidic soils, which are also sold for azaleas. Conventional fertilizers are also suitable - complete mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur.

Regions with moderately cold winters are very suitable for camellias. In such regions, the camellia is a versatile plant for any garden, park or patio. Camellias are used as an informal green hedge that creates a beautiful and practical hiding place from prying eyes throughout the year. Camellia with great success used as a bonsai plant. It is good to plant camellias with a tapeworm in the middle of the lawn, as well as on a border of shrubs and trees in a natural garden. Camellia will fit perfectly into any garden design.

Camellia (Camellia) - care, photos, types

Camellia - description

Camellia (lat. Camellia) belongs to the genus tea and includes approximately 80 species of plants. It grows in subtropical and tropical zones of East and Southeast Asia, in Japan and Korea, on the Indochinese Peninsula, on about. Java and the Philippine Islands. Camellia was first brought to Europe from the Philippines by a priest and naturalist Kamelius G.I., in whose honor the plant got its name.

Camellias are small evergreen trees or shrubs. Simple leaves are ovate or elliptical, leathery to the touch, glossy; they are both blunt and pointed, grow in two or three pieces or singly. Petals with many stamens are pure red, pink or white, and sometimes variegated.

Some types of camellia are valued for their decorative qualities - both for their beautiful leaves and flowers. When growing camellia indoors, it not only grows well and blooms, but can bear fruit - for this you need to provide it proper care. Beginning gardeners often fail to grow camellia due to care errors - insufficient lighting, the wrong soil mixture, too hot air or low humidity. By following the rules described below, you can grow a beautiful and healthy plant.

Camellia - photo

Camellia - home care

Best of all, the camellia indoor plant feels on the windows on the east and west sides, because diffused bright lighting is optimal for it. On the north side, the plant will not have enough light for good growth, and on the south side, the plant needs to be shaded from direct sunlight. In order for the plant to grow proportionally, the pot with it needs to be turned from time to time, but under no circumstances should you do this when buds appear on the home camellia - the buds can crumble. In summer, indoor camellia would be good to take out into the fresh air, without exposing it to the open sun.

Temperature.

In summer and spring, the air temperature should be between 20 and 25 °C. For bud formation, the temperature should not be higher than 18 ° C, and when the camellia blooms at home from December to February, it should be from 8 to 12 ° C. If the temperature is higher, firstly, the plant may drop buds, and secondly, the decorative effect of the flowers will decrease. Mortgage flower buds can and at a lower temperature, if daylight hours are short. Camellias need to circulate fresh air.

Watering camellia.

The camellia plant cannot be flooded - you need to water it abundantly, but evenly, as soon as it dries upper layer soil. Watered with soft water, let it settle before watering. If in winter the camellia flower is kept in cool conditions, it should be watered very carefully so that the soil does not acidify. If this happens, the plant will drop buds and the leaves will turn brown. And if the camellia is dried out, then the leaves will fall off.

Spraying camellia.

The home camellia flower loves very humid air, so the pots should be placed on a tray with moistened pebbles or expanded clay, and the leaves should be sprayed with soft water. If the plant blooms, then you need to ensure that water does not fall on the flowers.

Camellia nutrition.

Feed up homemade camellia every three weeks throughout the year. Mineral fertilizers take full (1 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water).

Pruning camellia.

In order for the axillary buds to grow better, the camellia shoots are pruned at the end of autumn at room conditions.

Camellia transplant.

Young specimens of camellia need to be transplanted annually. If a plant blooms every year, it needs to be repotted every two years. Transplanted in the spring, pinching the shoots in parallel for better branching. The soil should be acidic with a pH level of 4.5 to 5. A distinctive feature of indoor camellia compared to many subtropical plants is the ability to grow in soils with a pH of 4 and below. The soil mixture is made up of peat, sod, leaf soil and sand (2: 1: 2: 1). Plants growing in tubs need to be topped up with fertilizer every year. High-quality drainage should be built in a container with camellia.

Camellia from seed.

Seeds should be sown in five-centimeter pots one at a time. When the seedlings have two leaves, they dive into larger pots. When propagated by seeds, the signs of varieties may be lost, therefore, to preserve them, the camellia is propagated by cuttings. Signs of camellia varieties are especially valuable in ornamental gardening; for this reason, camellia is propagated vegetatively (by cuttings).

Reproduction of camellia cuttings.

Decorative varieties of camellia are usually propagated in July and January with the help of 6-8 cm apical cuttings, not yet woody. Cuttings (they should have from 3 to 5 developed leaves) are planted in boxes, and the temperature is kept at 20-23 ° C. The soil mixture is prepared from equal parts of peat and sand. When planted in summer, rooting can take up to two months, and in winter - a little longer. A container with cuttings must be sprayed and watered. To speed up rooting, the cuttings can be soaked in a heteroauxin solution, and then watered periodically, but this may either speed up the rooting process or have no effect. When the cuttings take root, they are transplanted into pots 7 cm in diameter in a substrate of peat, leafy, soddy soil and sand (2:2:1:1). Sometimes vaccinations are carried out on rooted cuttings, and sometimes on one- or two-year-old camellias. At first, it is watered abundantly, after which watering is reduced to accelerate the lignification of petioles.

Reproduction of camellia by grafting.

If the camellia variety takes root poorly, it is worth propagating by grafting. They do this in January, using the developed buds from the top of the shoot. After two months, the grafts will germinate when kept at 20°C. Young plants need to be sprayed, watered, control humidity, cut off shoots and prevent burns on the leaves (otherwise they will fall off). In the second year, the plant is transplanted into 9-cm pots with the same substrate, and in the third year, the camellia plant is transferred into pots 11-14 cm in diameter into a substrate of leaf, sod, heather, peat soil and sand (2: 2: 2: 2:1).

Camellia - diseases and pests

Camellias are dropping buds. If the soil is allowed to acidify, the buds will fall off, and the leaves will take on a brown tint.

brown spots on camellia leaves - This sunburn. The plant needs to be shaded from the sun, especially on a summer afternoon.

Camellia leaves are falling if the plant lacks moisture for a long period.

Camellia dies. The reasons for the death of camellia in novice flower growers: incorrect soil composition, low light, too low humidity, too high air temperature.

Camellia pests. The main pest that harms camellias is the spider mite.

Camellia - types

Camellia mountain / Camellia sasanqua

Camellia mountain (Camellia sasanqua) or Camellia Miyagi (Camellia miyagii) or camellia tegmentosa (Camellia tegmentosa). This species is native to Okinawa and about. Kyushu. These shrubs grow to a height of 3 to 5 m, the branches are thin, and the shoots are pubescent with red hairs. Leaves reach a maximum of 7 cm in length and 3 cm in width; the shape of the leaves is elongated-ovoid or elliptical with teeth along the edges; the upper side of the leaf is dark green and glossy; on the lower side, the midrib is pubescent. Simple fragrant 7 cm flowers grow singly or in 2-3 pieces and are red, pink or white color. Period abundant flowering from November to January. Grows best in cool rooms.

Camellia sinensis / Camellia sinensis

Chinese camellia (Camellia sinensis) or camellia bohea (Camellia bohea). It grows in gorges, on mountain slopes and in the forests of China. In height, these trees or shrubs grow up to 15 m. The leaves are up to 10 cm long and up to 4 cm wide, elliptical or ovoid, glossy and dark green on the upper side; young leaves are pubescent with white hairs, and adults are naked. White axillary flowers grow on short pedicels of 1, 2 or 3 things.

Japanese camellia / Camellia japonica

Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica). This species can be found in Japanese, Chinese and Korean forests. These trees or shrubs grow up to 15 m in height. The leaves are pointed at the top and jagged at the edges, leathery to the touch, dark green, glossy. They have the shape of an egg or an ellipse, reach a maximum of 10 cm in length. Simple 4-centimeter flowers grow several or singly, there are double and semi-double; the color is pure red, pink or white, and there are also variegated leaves. The flowering period is from December to April.

But only blooming, when all the plants are at rest, in winter. But the similarity of cultures is limited only by the pomp and shape of flowers, the care and cultivation of camellia in the garden is strikingly different from the agricultural technology of other ornamental shrubs.

The reason for the uniqueness of camellias is in the peculiarities of their growth in the wild nature of the regions native to plants. In the humid, close to subtropical, climate of southeast Asia flowering shrubs and small camellia trees have been used for landscaping park and palace complexes for many centuries.

With moderately hot summers and winters with slight sub-zero temperatures, the culture feels great in open ground. But is it possible to grow and care for garden camellia on the street in Russian conditions? !

The history of growing and caring for camellia in the garden

In Europe, the first specimens of camellias appeared in the first half of the 18th century. Over the past years, gardeners have learned to care for the crop, numerous varieties and hybrids have appeared:

• which have become more resistant than wild species to frost;
• with more long period flowering;
• with rims unique in shape, size and variety of colors.

The oldest specimens of camellias, once taken out of Japan and China, can still be seen in the greenhouses of Britain, in the garden of the old royal residence in Dresden and in the parks of Spain.

And at the disposal of modern lovers of flowering shrubs garden camellias, as in the photo, with flowers resembling roses of various types and even anemones. Among camellias there are trees and shrub forms.

Plants are able to tolerate significant cold, but it is unlikely that camellias will be able to survive at temperatures below -20 ° C. The most winter-hardy varieties today are: Donation, Jury's Yellow, Debbie, Hagoromo. Flowering of these varieties is delayed until spring, but they retain bright green foliage in winter.

Conditions for the care and cultivation of garden camellia

But even such frost-resistant plants will not be able to withstand the cold in the middle zone of the country. Therefore, garden camellias are grown here in large containers, bringing them to a cool room, terrace or greenhouse for the winter.

In pots, camellia feels good at a temperature of 10-15 ° C. If the plant is provided with good, but diffused lighting for 12-14 hours a day, then caring for camellia when grown in the garden will not be difficult. The shrub will pick up color in time and delight the gardener with an abundance of wonderful flowers.

In regions with milder winters, evergreen bushes cover, and in the subtropical zone, garden camellias, as in the photo, from February to mid-spring are covered with many spectacular flowers up to 10 cm in diameter.

Camellias blooming in the garden can suffer not only from frost, but also from bright winter sun showing its activity in the morning hours.

So that the foliage and flower petals do not turn black and die, thawing after the night, it is better to shade the plants or cover them with non-woven material at night. The same measure will help preserve shrubs if cold winter winds are not uncommon on the site.

Since garden camellias, in the photo, tolerate partial shade well, protect them from negative impacts environments can crowns of garden trees. When choosing neighbors for an ornamental culture, it is only important to take into account that camellias love acidic soil, which not all garden dwellers like.

Camellias grow well under the shelter of fences, near the walls of houses and outbuildings. With the help of supports and trellises, gardeners successfully grow climbing camellia in the garden, which, with the help of painstaking shaping, is given a flat vertical shape.

Planting and caring for garden camellia

In addition to knowledge about right place planting a garden camellia and caring for it, the gardener must understand the plant's requirements for soil, and top dressing. But the life of culture in the open field begins with the planting of shrubs.

landing pit for a garden camellia, it is made twice as wide and deeper than the earthen clod that the seedling has. This is done so that the plant immediately gets into the nutritious enough acidic soil, which is necessary capricious beauty for growth and flowering.

The soil for garden camellia, in the photo, consists of equal parts of humus, coniferous earth, and sand. To acidify the soil, crushed spruce or pine bark can be added to the substrate. The selected mixture should be loose, light and structured. In such soil, camellia roots:

• receive the required amount of air and moisture:
• will not be at risk of decay;
• will actively grow, helping to feed the aerial part of the bush.

A drainage layer is made at the bottom of the pit, prepared soil is poured over it so that after filling the clod placed on the bottom, the root neck of the shrub is not under the soil layer. In this case, the planting of camellia for care in the garden is carried out correctly. The soil surface is mulched with needles, sawdust, shavings or bark in order to:

• prevent evaporation of moisture;
• gradually replenish the acidity of the substrate.

By autumn, the layer of mulch is increased, carefully covering the base of the camellia. Such a measure will help to avoid damage to the bush from frost spreading through the soil and the absence of snow at the beginning of winter.

To simplify the care of garden camellia, planting is carried out in late autumn or at the end of winter, when the plant has not yet begun active growth of shoots. In this case, the shrub is well acclimatized and quickly begins to grow, taking both watering and fertilizer.

Watering and fertilizing camellias when caring for and planting in the garden

Fertilizing garden camellias is carried out from spring to the end of July. The shrub well perceives the introduction of complex additives, which can be replaced with a single top dressing with granular bird droppings at the beginning of summer.

The plant, like other inhabitants of the garden, needs water. The most plentiful and frequent waterings are in spring and summer, but since autumn, together with the restriction in fertilizers, they reduce soil moisture. This care measure when growing camellias in the garden stimulates the appearance of buds.

So that all the efforts spent on planting and caring for a camellia in the garden are not in vain, when buying planting material it is important to make sure that the selected variety is able to survive in winter conditions in the open field. If in doubt, it is more reasonable to choose a suitable container for the seedling and grow camellia as a potted crop, which winter time will have to be moved to a cool room.

Festive camellia bloom - video

Many have heard about camellia - this delicate flower, originally from China and Japan, won the heart of more than one grower. Despite the difficulties in caring for this shrub, it is still possible to get it in your collection. The article is devoted to the secrets of caring for an Asian guest.

Camellia is a member of the tea family., and one of its varieties - Chinese camellia - is grown precisely as a tea culture. In conditions wildlife this charming flower can be found in the mountainous and forested areas of China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Japan. Today, in Asian countries, camellia is grown in large quantities for essential oils and tea.

The Asian guest in its original form is an evergreen shrub or tree-like plant of small size, on which large pale pink buds bloom in autumn. The stamens of camellia flowers can transform into petals - this shrub strongly resembles a rose. Another characteristic feature is beautiful leaves with a “glossy” surface of rich green color. It should be noted, that today the market offers flower growers a huge range of camellia varieties with an unusual color of inflorescences: for example, red or cream. Camellia can bloom within 28-70 days.

Features of caring for room camellia (video)

Description of camellia species

Thanks to the efforts of breeders to date, approximately 80 cultivated varieties of exotic shrubs have been bred, and the genus itself has more than two hundred species of plants. Unlike species growing in the wild, many horticultural varieties have a long flowering period, resistance to cold weather and an unusual shape and color of flowers and leaves. Below are the most popular types of camellia in floriculture.

Camellia japonica and its varieties

The Japanese beauty has become the progenitor for a number of varietal crops. Characteristic features of the variety are leathery oval leaves, small sizes and large flowers up to fourteen centimeters in diameter. The color of the buds may vary depending on the variety. So, General Colletti is decorated with bright double flowers with white and scarlet spots, and Hagoromo - with buds with pale pink petals on the outside and dazzling snow-white inside. Other varieties: Alba Simplex with white non-double flowers, Pink Perfection with pink double and Adolphe Audusson with scarlet semi-double.

camellia japonica

Camellia mountain (Miyagi)

Other names - carp, flower of the autumn sun; this type of camellia is the most "prolific", since more than a hundred cultivated varieties have been created on its basis. The species is characterized by love for sunlight and fragrant flowers that bloom in September and fall only in January.

Camellia mountain (Miyagi)

camellia sinensis

Usually, grown for the young leaves used to make tea. Among flower growers, this species is not so popular because of the low decorative properties compared to flowering camellias and because of the complexity of care. The variety is distinguished by pointed leathery leaves of a rich dark green hue with a serrated edge and modest paired inflorescences of a whitish or pink hue with a yellow center.

camellia sinensis

Gallery: camellia (25 photos)

Camellia reticulata

Stands out among relatives for its height: The tree can grow up to 20 m. Previously, this variety could often be found at Buddhist monasteries: large red buds with a subtle mesh pattern were very popular with the Chinese people.

Camellia reticulata

Camellia oleifera

Homeland - forests and river banks of China, height - 10 meters. Characteristic features: a trunk with a diameter of 20 cm, petiolate ovate leathery leaves and bisexual milky flowers. The flowering period falls on the first half of autumn. Often cultivated for seeds with a high content of fatty oils.

Camellia oleifera

Camellia Saluenskaya

Appearing in the 19th century, the variety became the basis for the breeding of many cold-resistant varieties. It differs from other species and has a long flowering period: it is decorated with bright pink flowers from November to May.

Camellia Saluenskaya

Camellia aureus

The most unusual variety, which is protected as an endangered species. On the territory of Chinese nature reserves you can see this tall tree with many (up to 200) flowers of a yellowish-golden hue. The tree also gained its popularity due to its bright foliage.

Camellia aureus

Camellia propagation methods

Asian beauty is able to reproduce in different ways: by seeds, cuttings, grafting and layering. Cutting is considered the easiest to perform and effective way, while seed breeding of camellia is resorted to much less frequently.

cuttings

The procedure is carried out in May-June. For this method, it is recommended to cut off semi-lignified olive-colored shoots that appeared in the same year. If the shoot is very hardened, then it is better to cut the cuttings from its upper part, and if not enough, then from the bottom. To save maternal decorative qualities flower growers are advised to propagate the flower with non-lignified shoots.

The cut parts must necessarily have several well-developed growth buds, preferably 3-4. Under this condition, the plant will take root faster and bloom earlier.

Camellia grafting procedure is carried out in May-June

Young shoots are planted to a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters in a substrate consisting of 3-4 cm of sand, under which a layer of rotted coniferous earth, peat and sand is placed in proportions of 2: 2: 1, respectively. Young cuttings are recommended to be sprayed and kept at a temperature of 18 to 24 ° C, providing lower soil heating. Humidity should be high, not lower than 80%. To speed up the process, in some cases it is recommended to create greenhouse conditions for the sprouts. AT normal conditions cuttings should take root in 1.5-2 months.

Rooted sprouts can be planted in small containers with a diameter of 9 to 11 cm with a slightly changed composition of the earth: now peat, humus and greenhouse soil are mixed in a ratio of 1:1:2 and urea is added. Young camellias should be watered abundantly throughout the entire maturation process, starting in May and ending in mid-August. Then watering is reduced to accelerate the maturation of the wood.

How to transplant camellia (video)

seeds

It is preferable to propagate camellia with fresh seeds. Main disadvantage this method - the lack of guarantees that sprouts will appear and that they will inherit the varietal characteristics of the parent specimen.

Seeds are stratified(in case not quite fresh), and then sown in small pots, one "eye" down. The soil mixture for this method is made from two parts of sphagnum and one part of perlite. After the appearance of two well-formed leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into larger containers. To stimulate branching, it is recommended to shorten the root system, leaving 2/3 of its original length. It must be remembered that excessive watering can destroy seedlings.

With seed propagation, camellia can bloom for 3-5 years of life.

It is preferable to propagate camellia with fresh seeds.

Camellia care at home

For its uniqueness and exoticism, camellia requires a lot of diligence, patience and care. However, the most stubborn flower growers will still be able to achieve success if they follow a few rules.

Choosing a place in the house

Immediately after the purchase, it is recommended to put the plant in a cool place in the shade, and after a couple of weeks move it to a warmer room, where the temperature does not exceed + 16 ° C. Choosing a place for an Asian guest follows the principle of the golden mean: the flower loves light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight on the foliage. The ideal daylight hours for camellias are 12 hours, and the temperature is from 12 to 17 ° C; in winter, you should even lower the temperature a little so that it stays within 10-15 degrees above zero.

Camellia does not tolerate heat well, you need to make sure that the mark on the thermometer does not reach + 27 ° C. In addition, the plant will gratefully respond to regular airing, so it can be placed on a glazed loggia or balcony. Having chosen a place, you should avoid changing it frequently: the Asian beauty does not tolerate a change in position relative to the light source.

Ideal daylight hours for camellia - 12 hours

Soil and potting requirements

The flower will successfully grow and develop in a light, air- and water-permeable drained soil with high acidity (pH level 4.5-5). You can take it as a ready-made mixture specially designed for rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias, or make it yourself. To do this, you need 1 part of coniferous, leafy and peat soil and a little sand. A pot for camellia should be chosen wide, and an impressive layer of drainage (for example, perlite) should be laid on its bottom. So excess moisture will not stagnate in the soil and cause rotting of the rhizome.

Attention! The neck of the plant - the junction of the trunk and roots - should not be sprinkled with earth.

How to grow camellia at home (video)

Watering and humidity

Camellia loves fairly high humidity (55-65%), so caring for it includes regular spraying, especially in the heat. However during the flowering period it is better to humidify the air not with a spray bottle and moss around the pot.

The plant also prefers moderate watering. At average temperature at 20 degrees Celsius, the tree should be watered when the topsoil dries out, and when it cools down to 12 ° C, when the soil is half dry. Wherein the soil must always remain loose so that enough air enters the root system. Watering should be carried out with filtered, warm (slightly above room temperature) and soft (without calcium and salt impurities) water, previously infused for at least half a day.

Camellia prefers moderate watering

Top dressing of room camellia

When it comes to fertilizers, excessive zeal should not be shown: the camellia has a pronounced dormant period, in which it is strongly not recommended to feed the plant in order to avoid stimulating premature flowering. You need to fertilize the Asian guest 1 time in the spring, when the plant has woken up from hibernation and is preparing for the growing season.

Complex fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur are well suited for top dressing. In no case should you feed camellia with calcium and magnesium: their excess in the soil will lead to the inevitable death of the plant. Feeding should be dosed by mixing 1/2 of the norm indicated on the package in water.

Complex fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur are well suited for feeding camellias.

Pinching and pruning room camellia

Pruning of bare shoots is carried out to give the plant a shape and a more attractive appearance. This should be done with extreme caution and only when necessary., since the camellia painfully endures such procedures. Usually, lateral processes and weak, diseased branches are removed - this is done either before the appearance of the buds, that is, in October-November, or in March-April.

During the flowering period and during transplantation, it is also customary to pinch the inflorescences, leaving up to two buds on one branch: this way the plant will not be too depleted, trying to give nutrients to a huge number of flowers, and the buds themselves will be larger.

Camellia is a plant of extraordinary beauty, which not everyone can conquer. To some, it seems too capricious, while others gather all their patience into a fist and receive a luxurious flowering in gratitude. A Japanese guest can become the pearl of any home collection.

Estimate

This shrub is often compared to a rose. But its beauty is special: delicate pink porcelain flowers look sophisticated and elegant. This plant in my flower garden grows a little to the side, because next to the camellia any flower fades, and it also performs the function of a hedge, as it is covered with green and juicy foliage all year round.

This plant belongs to the evergreen ornamental shrubs, loved and known throughout the world. You can talk for hours about the aristocratic beauty of these flowers. Romantic beauties in ancient times pinned a camellia flower to their hair or dress, and this was the best decoration for a woman.

• China and Japan are considered the birthplace of the plant, where the camellia was grown not only because of its amazing flowers, but also its petals were added to tea, giving it an unusual taste and aroma. It is thanks to the taste that the flower gained wide popularity in antiquity.
• The Philippines, Korea and southeast Asia are also familiar with this beautiful shrub. And he was brought to Europe for the first time and gave a description in the 18th century from the Philippines by monk George Joseph Kamelius. In honor of him, this plant bears such a name, given later by Carl Linnaeus.
• In Germany, in a park in Dresden, there are camellia bushes that are more than 2 centuries old. And they continue to bloom and delight visitors.
• The garden camellia also has a middle name - the Cold (Heartless) Beauty. And this name is given due to the unusual flowering period - from the second half of autumn to spring.
• The height of the bush usually does not exceed a few meters and is increasingly used by gardeners and landscape designers as a hedge.
• Previously, this plant could only be grown in the southern regions, since cold winters were a difficult test for the flower (-10 is the limit for camellia). But the work of breeders has borne fruit, and now it is possible to grow this amazing plant and in more northern regions, since - 25 degrees is already quite an acceptable temperature for new varieties.
• The decorativeness of the bush is expressed not only by beautiful flowering, but also by emerald leathery and glossy leaves, which can be quite large - up to 16 - 18 cm in length. And the elongated shape gives the shrub showiness.
• Flowers on the shrub are represented by a variety of shades: white, pink, red, yellow and double. New varieties may have variegated flowers. Depending on the variety of camellia, the size of the flowers varies from one centimeter to 12 cm.
• Camellia blooms from autumn to spring and this is different from all plants.
• breeds garden beauty two ways: seeds and cuttings.

Popular varieties

There are such types of camellia as oilseed, Chinese, mountain. But the best varieties and hybrids known to us are obtained from Japanese camellia.

Debbie

Frost resistant variety. This shrub grows quite quickly and looks great. Against the background of dark green shiny leaves, wax bright raspberry-pink multi-petal flowers bloom. The plant is characterized by abundant and long flowering.

Donation

It differs from the previous variety in flowers larger in size and having a terry flower structure. Compared to other species and varieties, this camellia is quite unpretentious, growing a little slower than the rest. Recommended for beginner gardeners.

Freedom Bell

The pointed, regular-shaped petals of this variety of camellia seem to be carved by a sculptor, and the scarlet color simply does not let you pass by such beauty. The bush itself has straight branches and a dense shiny, large size rich green foliage.

Hagoromo

This camellia grows slowly, the shape of the bush is lush and dense, and the flowers, on the contrary, are elegant and have a pure shade of white with a yellowish core, the petals seem porcelain.

General Colletti

This variety is simply extraordinary flowers- red - white petals will be a bright accent and decoration of any corner of the garden or flower garden.

All of these varieties remain green throughout winter period, and the flowering of each variety, although it differs in the structure of the petals and shades, but, without a doubt, confirms another name of the camellia - the Empress.

Preparing for landing

Before planting a camellia in open ground, you need to carefully prepare and think through everything to the smallest detail. Let's look at a few basic steps.

Choice of variety and planting material

1. The best time to purchase seedlings and plant them in open ground is from late April to mid-July. In autumn, camellia can only be planted in the south.
2. Seedlings should be four years old and have lignified bark on the shoots.
3. It is recommended to purchase planting material in special nurseries and stores.
4. Depending on the region (southern or more northern), choose the appropriate variety.
5. Before making a purchase decision, you should inspect the bush well: the soil in the container must be clean and moist, and damage, dry or diseased shoots and leaves are unacceptable on the seedling.

Selecting a landing site

From where in your garden or flower garden you decide to settle this shrub, its further growth and flowering depends.

• The best thing would be camellias on the western or eastern side of the site, where there is not only the sun, but also diffused light, and sometimes partial shade. On the north side, the sun is not enough to start the budding process, and too strong scorching sun rays can be aggressive.
• There should be no cold winds and drafts at the intended location.
• It will be most comfortable for a shrub on a small hill or hill, especially if ground water in your area flow close to the soil surface. And stagnant water and dampness are contraindicated for camellia and can cause rotting of the root system.
• A small penumbra from large garden trees or bushes will only benefit the camellia.

Soil composition

The shrub loves a neutral or acidic soil composition. The mixture for planting can be purchased at a special store or you can make it yourself. Usually, coarse-grained river sand is added to coniferous soil for the drainage layer (sometimes the bark of coniferous trees is added for acidification), peat, perlite and vermiculite.

Organic material and a small amount of gravel added to the drainage layer will provide better ventilation of the root system and a uniform supply of oxygen to it.

Planting camellias in open ground

1. First you need to dig a hole several times larger than root system seedlings along with an earthen clod.
2. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the hole.
3. The prepared substrate is poured on top of the mound.
4. A seedling is carefully laid out on it, and the root is straightened.
5. The rest of the soil is poured on top, which is then slightly compacted.
6. The bush is well watered, and a layer of pine needle mulch lies on top.

At first, the plant is especially protected from direct sunlight and drafts. You can come up with some kind of temporary shading until the camellia takes root.

Features of care

Caring for a shrub is not difficult, the main thing is not to forget the main points. Let's take a look at what camellia needs the most for adaptation after planting and good development.

Watering

For moistening, it is necessary to prepare water that has been settled for several days. The watering schedule is moderate, do not flood the plant, but do not allow dryness either.

Camellia must receive nutrients for growth and flowering.

Fertilizers and top dressings

The feeding procedure is carried out from late spring to mid-summer. Suitable for this are special fertilizers for camellias or half the dose of a nutrient mixture for rhododendrons, rich in iron, boron.

Potassium and magnesium should not be included in top dressing. The solution is poured under the root. Then you need to carefully water the plant.

pruning

In the spring, sanitary pruning is done - dry, diseased or broken branches are removed. Also, a shaping is needed, which consists in cutting and pinching upper parts camellia shoots.

How to prepare for winter

If the winters are very cold, then it is necessary to wrap the Asian beauty securely and prepare for frost. To do this, a circle is made around the bush from a grid along the perimeter of the trunk, then foliage is poured between the trunk and the circle.

The soil near the trunk is mulched with peat. A non-woven material is placed on top of the bush. In such a shelter, the camellia bush will overwinter perfectly.

Conclusion

• Camellia - a beautiful shrub perennial, originally from Japan. It is considered a rather capricious and demanding shrub, but the beautiful flowers and green dense foliage make you forget about all the whims.
• Previously, she could not winter in central Russia due to severe frosts, but, thanks to the frost-resistant varieties bred, cultivation in the open field became possible.
• Camellia is special because it blooms from late autumn to spring. There are varieties that stay green all winter.
• The plant does not like stagnant water and dampness, cold winds and drafts, as well as the scorching sun.
• A place with diffused light and moderately moist soil will be the most comfortable for a shrub.