RHS Garden Hyde Hall

Plant of the Month: March

Camellia japonica ‘Hagoromo’ @ Hyde Hall

The Woodland Garden at Hyde Hall is in a sheltered corner of the Hilltop Garden which enables us to grow a good collection of camellias, rhododendrons and the like. The soil in this part of the garden is slightly acidic and although Hyde Hall sits atop a hill, trees that were planted fifty years ago are now creating a sheltered microclimate where these plants can flourish. Camellia x williamsii 'Saint Ewe' is always the first camellia to flower with the blooms emerging as the New Year starts. Most of the camellias in the Woodland Garden however flower during March and Camellia japonica 'Hagoromo' is a good example. As the temperature slowly begins to rise with the onset of spring, and the days slowly extend, this triggers the pale pink flowers to emerge from the tight buds of their winter hibernation.

Camellia

Camellias are long-lived evergreen shrubs and small trees found in woodland. They naturally occur in southern China and adjacent countries with warm temperate climates. They are found in varying habitats from coastal and hillside scrub to woodland and rain-forest.

Camellias have a long history of association with man, the first recorded mention being about 1725BC when a Chinese emperor declared that an infusion of the leaves of Camellia sinensis (tea) was his favourite drink. The most widely grown ornamental species is C. japonica, which reached the west in the 1700s and became popular in Britain in the early 1800s because of the great diversity of form and colour of its flowers. More species became available through the 19th century and early 20th century, including C. saluenensis, which allowed hybridisers to produce hybrids with greater hardiness and longer flowering period.

The genus Camellia was named by Linnaeus for Georg Josef Kamel (1661-1706) a Jesuit pharmacist, born at Brno, Moravia. Kamel latinised his name to Camellus and under it wrote an account of the plants of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines. This account was published in London in 1704 by John Ray as an appendix to his Historia Plantarum.

Camellias require a cool winter and many will tolerate moderate frosts, but they must have good drainage, plenty of organic matter and a soil pH of between 5 and 7. C. japonica prefers an acidic soil and is said to be the hardiest species, though it is very variable and thus hardy to varying degrees.

Camellia japonica ‘Hagoromo’

C. japonica 'Hagoromo' is a wide-spreading, erect, compact, medium-sized shrub with narrow, twisted, glossy leaves and blush-pink, semi-double flowers with narrow petals, to 10cm across, and creamy yellow stamens.

It has dark-green leaves that taper to sharp downward pointing tips.

The name ‘Hagoromo’ means feathered robe and in Japanese folklore is the clothing of an angel.

This cultivar is good as a patio plant as well as in a woodland garden, city/courtyard garden, cottage/informal garden or a low maintenance garden

AGM

The RHS Rhododendron and Camellia Committee awarded Camellia japonica ‘Hagoromo’ an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Wide-spreading, medium-sized shrub with narrow, twisted, glossy leaves and blush-pink, semi-double flowers with narrow petals, to 10cm across.

Cultivation

Camellias like to grow in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil. They do not like to be planted too deep, so the top of the rootball should be positioned so that it is level with the firmed soil.

The site should be in partial or dappled shade and sheltered from cold dry winds and early morning sun as the buds and flowers are often damaged by late frosts and cold winds. If camellias are not watered during dry weather they can suffer from bud drop, thus reducing the floral display.

Most camellias need little attention, though some young plants benefit from formative pruning while older plants may need renovation. Prune in spring, after flowering, but before growth buds break. Deadheading is not necessary since the spent flowers are shed naturally.

To encourage bushy growth, reduce thin leggy shoots of young plants to two or three buds or remove entirely. To restrict the size and encourage a free-flowering habit the previous season's growth on established plants can be cut back to just above the old wood.

Camellias can be affected by a number of pests, including scale insects, red spider and bud mites, aphids and caterpillars. Diseases that affect camellias often lead to dieback, which can be controlled by pruning, though where it is endemic more rigorous solutions may be required.

Virus diseases also affect camellias, producing light markings on the leaves and white spots and stripes on the flowers. They are more prominent in warm climates where they are also spread deliberately by grafting to produce interestingly marked flowers.

Propagation

Although the original hybrids were raised by seed, to maintain the characteristics of a named cultivar cuttings must be taken.

Propagation is normally by semi-ripe cuttings of the current season's growth taken from late summer to winter. Rooting will usually take around two to three months, but with the use of bottom heat may be speeded up.

Camellias can also be grafted, with side or cleft grafting carried out when the plants are dormant.

More information

Advice on growing camellias can be found by clicking here

The RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group

Founded in 1945, this group is for all RHS members who share an interest in rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias and associated plants. More information