Camellia Guide A4 30.7.15

New Zealand Camellia Society Inc
CAMELLIA
Introduction
Camellias provide magnificent blooms of varying shapes, sizes and colours from
March to November each year. As the season progresses many blooms are
affected by a fungus which causes petal blight. It infects the petals only and this
causes them to progressively go brown and ultimately drop to the ground. With the
same blooms there is likely to be area to area climatical and timing variations.
So, the answer is to grow camellias that are less susceptible or resistant to petal blight. This Guide lists
those camellias (that are less susceptible or resistant) from all our available sources including those from
our own members and from an ongoing research project into petal blight at Massey University which the
Camellia Memorial Trust is helping to fund.
This Guide is for everyone ranging from our own members, members of the public, nurseries, propagators
and retailers. Camellias can be grown by acquiring one of the listed camellias, or by growing a cutting from
one of those camellias, or grafting onto an established camellia root system, or by hybridising by crossing a
listed hybrid with one of the resistant Camellia Species.
At the Sunday night dinner at National Show and Convention in August 2014 Dr
Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, a Research Associate, from Landcare Research, Lincoln,
Canterbury, spoke about a Trees for Bees programme (initiated by the
Federated Farmers). There is a world wide decline of honey bees including in
New Zealand due to an increasing number of pests including the varroa mite and
other diseases.
To increase the number of bees which are vital for our horticulture they need to have an ample supply of
pollen and nectar throughout the year. Dr Linda’s research showed there was a shortage of food available
from April to July.
One solution is to encourage the growing of suitable camellias, and as the species Sasanquas are the first
to flower they would be ideal. Their blooms need to provide the bees with easy access to the pollen and
nectar, and it helps if there is a contrast between the blooms and stamens, and the petals are clear of the
stamens. This is well illustrated in the photo of Yuletide (a Sasanqua). Those considered suitable are
identified on the guide with an asterisk *.
Sasanquas
These are the first to flower, some as early as March, and they will have their season before petal blight
arrives. They cope with sun and shade, and are robust. Their glossy green leaves and flowers are
smaller. Many blooms are fragrant.
Those with an asterisk
*
*
*
*
*
*
* in each of the four species are suitable for honey bees.
Beatrice Emily
Bert Jones
Bonanza
Bonsai Baby
Chansonette
Crimson King
Early Pearly
Elfin Rose
Gay Sue
Jean May
Kanjiro (Hiryu)
Marie Steiner
Midnight Lover
Navajo
Paradise Belinda
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Paradise Belinda
Paradise Glow
Paradise Helen
Paradise Joan
Paradise Pearl
Plantation Pink
Setsugekka
Shishi Gashira
Show Girl
Silver Dollar
Sparkling Burgandy
Somerset
Spready Freddy
Yoi Machi
Yuletide
Japonicas
The flowering type is wide and varied, and will tend to produce the best results. Most flower from May to
August.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Bob Hope
Bob’s Tinsie
Bokuhan (Tinsie)
Dolly Dyer
Elegans Champagne
Elegans Supreme
Guilio Nuccio
Harry Cave
Holly Bright
Jean Clere
Kramer’s Supreme
Lady Clare
Lady Loch
Lemon Honey
Mark Allan
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Maroon and Gold
Prima Ballerina
Royal Velvet
Rudoph
San Dimas
Shikibu
Sir Victor Davies
Takanini
Tama Gliters
Tata
Volcano
Volunteer
Wilamina
Wildfire
Hybrids
These offer the best attributes through crossing with Sasanquas, Japonicas, and Reticulatas, and they
produce exquisite flowers, form and foliage. The listed camellias have the greatest resistance to petal
blight.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Ack-Scent
Adorable
Anticipation
Buttermint
Candle Glow
Cinnamon Cindy
Cinnamon Scentstation
Dave’s Weeper
Dreamboat
Dream Baby
E.G.Waterhouse
Esme Spence
Fragrant Burgandy
Fairy Blush
Fairy Wand
Fragrant Joy
Fragrant Pink Improved
Gay Baby
Good Fragrance
High Fragrance
Itty Bit
Jamie
Koto-no-Kaori
Les Jury
Liddybow
Night Rider
*
*
*
*
*
Minato-no-Akebono
Mimosa Jury
Norina
Nymph
Peggy Burton
Popcorn
Quintessence
Seaspray
Scented Gem
Scentuous
Silver Column
Snow Flurry
Spring Festival
Spring Mist
Sugar ‘n’ Spice
Sweet Jane
Sweet Emily Kate
Tiny Princess
Transpink
Transtasman
Water Lily
Wirilinga Bride
Wirilinga Gem
Wirilinga Princess
Yoimachi
Reticulatas
These are strong growing with larger blooms and darker green leaves.
Those early flowering blooms
show little petal blight, but as the season progresses it becomes more noticeable, but less so in the red
blooms. Most are more suited to a larger garden.
*
*
*
*
*
Alfons
Barbara Clark
Beth Dean
Brian
Dream Girl
*
*
*
*
Flower Girl
Margaret Hilford
Nuccio’s Ruby
Red Crystal
Trevor Lennard
Dr Clifford Parks
*
Winter’s Own
Camellia Species and Hybrids
These are the hybrids suitable for crossing with the resistant Camellia Species.
1
Camellia Species – Cuspidata
Hybrids
Candle Glow
Cornish Snow
2
Camellia Species - Fraterna
Hybrids
Dave’s Weeper
Dream Baby
Esme Spence
Itty Bit
3
Wirilinga Bride
Liddybow
Norina
Pop Corn
Seaspray
Silver Column
Wirilinga Princess
Yoimachi
Tiny Princess
Camellia Species - Kissi
Hybrid
Buttermint
4
Camellia Species - Lutchuensis
Hybrids
Ack-Scent
Cinnamon Cindy
Cinnamon Scentsation
Fairy Blush
Fragrant Joy
5
Jaune
Camellia Species - Transnokoensis
Hybrids
Sweet Jane
7
Scentuous
Souza’s Pavlova
Spring Mist
Sugar ‘n’ Spice
Sweet Emily Kate
Camellia Species - Oleifera
Hybrids
Snow Flurry
6
High Fragrance
Koyo-no-Kaori
Minato-no-Akeboo
Nymph
Quintessence
Transtasman
Camellia Species – Yushsienensis
Hybrids
Fragrant Burgandy
Good Fragrance
Your comments are very welcome. Brian Hartley, President - [email protected]
30.7.15