camellia
Camellia japonica 'April Snow'
Overview
The camellia (Camellia japonica 'April Snow') is a stunning and versatile species of flowering plant, prized for its ability to thrive in many environments and its showy blooms. An evergreen perennial, this camellia is easily grown in the right climates and produces beautiful white double-petalled flowers in the spring. It is a low-maintenance plant, requiring moderate water and partial shade, and can grow up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide! Its white flowers provide a nice contrast to its glossy green leaves, making April Snow a wonderful addition to any landscape. It also makes a great specimen planting or hedge. For these reasons and more, the camellia 'April Snow' is an amazing plant.
Care Guide
Watering
Camellias should be watered regularly and evenly. This species in particular (Camellia japonica 'April Snow') do not need to be watered more than once a week during the growing season. During the winter, watering should be reduced to once every 2 weeks. It's important to monitor the soil to ensure it remains moist yet not overly wet, as overly wet soil can cause root rot. You should water until the soil is saturated, and then wait until the top inch or so of soil is slightly dried out before our next watering.
Light
Camellia japonica 'April Snow' plants prefer partial to full sun with as many as 6 hours per day. Morning sun is preferable, as it helps the leaves to dry off after night time dew to reduce the risk of fungal disease. The largest and most prolific blooms occur when the plant receives maximum sunlight; however, providing too much sunlight can damage the leaves. This type of camellia will tolerate some shade, but not full shade, so it's best to provide them with some sun exposure to prevent stunted growth.
Temperature
Hardiness zone 6–9.
Pruning
Camellia (Camellia japonica 'April Snow' is best pruned during the late winter season, after it has bloomed and before buds have started to form for the next season. Pruning of Camellia should be done lightly and judiciously. To maintain a natural shape, remove only quickly growing branches, and occasionally lightly thin the plant overall. To thin the plant, select 1 or 2 stems at a time to cut back to an outward facing bud. Avoid pruning branches larger than a pencil in diameter. Thanks to its broad range of cultivars, Camellia can take on a wide variety of shapes and sizes. To ensure these shapes are maintained, pruning should be done each year as needed.
Propagation
Layering Propagation, Grafting Propagation, Cutting, Division, Seed Propagation
Related plants
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