Camellia (Camellia sasanqua)

The Camellias tree is a dense upright evergreen small tree or shrub with a pyramidal, rounded, shape. It grows to a height of about six to five feet with the smallest being only two feet tall and the largest twenty feet tall. Its width is five to seven feet. The tree has large blooms which are large, conspicuous and rose like in color with flowers which have colors ranging from white pink and red to yellow. However, truly yellow blooms are found in Vietnam and South China. Generally, the Camellias tree has a wide range of blossom shape, size and color which includes double, semi-double blooms which can extend up to five inches across and with five to nine petals in individual blooms. These blooms are usually characterized by dense yellow stamens which often contrast with the color of their petals.

The Camellias tree has foliages which are ever green and produces dark green. These leaves are simple, thick, serrated, alternately arranged and glossy. This tree plant has fruit pods which are dry and are in the shape of a capsule. The fruit pods are sub divided into five compartments with individual compartment containing eight seeds.

The tree plant usually has a relatively rapid growth rate. Typically the tree can grow approximately thirty centimeter per year until it matures. However, several factors are considered like its geographical location of establishment and variety

Various species of the Camellias tree plant can generally do well in acidic soils which are rich in humus and soils that are well drained. It doesn’t establish in chalky or calcium rich soils. It can also be grown in containers under wet conditions and proper application of acidic fertilizers like sulphate of ammonia, Champak Ericaceous or sulphate of potash. .This tree species cannot do well in dry areas as it cannot tolerate dry conditions. It requires huge amounts of water for their growth. The water supply can be either from irrigation or natural water from rainfall.