Brighten the fall and winter landscape with a profusion of blooms from this charming Southern classic.
This gorgeous low-maintenanceshrubbegins blooming in autumn, a time when only sasanqua camellias traditionally flower!
In addition to beautiful blooms,Early Wonder Camelliaproduces handsome dark green foliage for year-round appeal.
Credit:Southern Living Plant Collection
Select a planting site protected from the drying effects of winter winds.
Camellias plants are susceptible to root diseases and require soil with good drainage.
Once established, they are quite long-lived in the landscape.
Light
Camellias tolerate full sun but grow and bloom best in filtered light or partial shade.
Young plants are more sensitive to the sun and benefit from planting in a sheltered location.
Provide camellias protection from hot afternoon sun.
Camellias grown in the northern extent of its range need shelter from winter sun to reduce cold damage.
Soil
Good drainage is essential to growing healthy camellias.
Plant in loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil that is rich in organic matter.
Avoid planting camellias in heavy clay soil or areas where water tends to collect.
If drainage is a problem, amend soil with compost and plant on mounds or berms.
Camellias do not tolerate alkaline soils, which can lead to yellowing foliage.
Water
Early Wonder Camellias thrive with regular moisture, but do not tolerate wet feet.
Provide young plants with even and consistent moisture during their first two years, but avoid over watering.
Mulch the roots to help retain soil moisture between irrigation or rainfall events.
If dry spells occur during this time, provide supplemental irrigation to prevent bud drop.
Temperature And Humidity
Early Wonder Camellia is cold hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 9.
The American Camellia Society recommends fertilizing in early March, early May, and early July.
Young camellias require higher concentrations of nitrogen than established plants to support growth, select fertilizers accordingly.
Apply only the recommended label rate of fertilizer.
Start by removing any dead branches.
To shape plants, trim back any disproportionately long shoots, cutting back to a leaf or side branch.
Lower branches can be shortened to maintain a more upright growth habit.
Too much nitrogen fertilizer encourages shoot and leaf development at the expense of flowering.
Strive to keep water consistently moist, but not soggy.
Early Wonder Camellias bloom best when they receive sufficient sunlight.
check that your planting site is not too shady.
Consider pruning a few limbs from overhead trees to allow more sunlight to penetrate.
Pruning camellias at the wrong time of year can also reduce flowering.
Camellias start to set flower buds when growth resumes in spring and summer.
Pruning right after flowering is complete ensures flower buds are not removed by mistake.
Finally, some causes of bud drop are out of your control.
Late spring frosts can damage developing buds and cause them to drop.
In the colder regions of the South, plant camellias in locations protected from strong winter winds.
double-check plants are well watered going into fall and winter.
Fill the top of the pot with dry leaves and pile mulch around the base.
Consider moving potted plants into an unheated greenhouse or garage when below-freezing conditions are expected.
Propagating Early Wonder Camellia
Early Wonder Camellia is patent-protected and cannot be propagated.
Select a container with good drainage and use a frost-proof pot in areas where frost is expected in winter.
Camellias need to be repotted every two to three years into larger containers and fresh soil.
Container-grown camellias perform best with morning sun and afternoon shade or filtered light all day.
They also dry out faster than those planted in the ground.
Be sure to water containers deeply when the upper two inches of soil feels dry to the touch.
Fertilize potted camellias with a water-soluble fertilizer for acid-loving plants according to labeldirections from spring through mid-summer.
Manage scales and aphids using horticultural oil following label instructions.
Problems with sooty mold will clear up when the insects are controlled.
Symptoms of camellia dieback and canker include sudden wilting and yellowing of the foliage and die-back of branch tips.
This fungal disease appears as gray blotches on the bark, eventually developing into sunken cankers.
Disinfect your pruning tools between cuts.
Flower blight or petal blight is also due to a fungal pathogen.
It causes flower petals to quickly turn brown and drop, typically within 24 to 48 hours.
Practice good sanitation to limit the spread of this disease.
Collect and destroy all fallen flowers and as well as infected blooms still on the plant.
Also remove and discard the mulch around the base of plants and replace with a fresh layer.
Common Problems
Attention to soil health also prevents a common problem among camellias: chlorosis.
When planted in neutral or alkaline soil, camellias cannot take up adequate nutrients.
This is easily corrected by amending soils with garden sulfur to adjust the pH.
Scorched or bronzed areas on the leaves typically indicate sunscald.
Sunscald can be a problem when camellias receive too much sun.
This is most common for plants located along a wall with an intense southern or western exposure.
Plants moved from shaded locations to bright sun may also experience sunscald.
Providing plants with adequate protection from intense afternoon sun typically prevents this problem.
Camellias are robust plants that weather occasional insects, disease, and other challenges quite well.
