Brighten the fall and winter landscape with an abundance of blooms from this charming Southern classic.

Early Wonder® Camellia from the Southern Living Plant Collection combines the best characteristics of Japanese camellias with a fall blooming cycle. Sasanqua camellias. This gorgeous low maintenance bush It begins blooming in the fall, when traditionally only sasanqua camellias bloom! Its striking rose-pink, double flowers continue to bloom throughout the winter months, providing long-lasting color in the conservatory and providing beautiful cut flowers to bring indoors.

In addition to beautiful flowers, Early Wonder® Camellia produces beautiful dark green foliage for year-round appeal. This vigorous, upright grower reaches a mature size of six to eight feet tall and four to six feet wide, making a welcome accent for shady gardens. Take advantage of the height to create mass in borders and privacy plantings, or place plants individually in large containers to dress up a porch or patio.

Plant Characteristics

Early Wonder® Camellia Care

Early Wonder® Camellia It can be planted from fall to early spring in southern gardens. Choose a planting area protected from the drying effects of winter winds. Camellia plants are susceptible to root diseases and need well-drained soil. Give these slow-growing, shallow-rooted plants plenty of room to establish a healthy root system, free from competition with neighboring plants. Once established, they are extremely long-lasting 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 sun and benefit from being planted in a sheltered location. Provide camellia protection from the hot afternoon sun. Camellias growing in the northern part of their distribution area need protection from the winter sun to reduce the damage caused by cold.

Soil

Good drainage is essential for growing healthy camellias. Plant in loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. Avoid planting camellias in heavy clay soils or areas where water tends to pool. If drainage is an issue, amend the soil with compost and plant in mounds or banks. Camellias do not tolerate alkaline soils, which can cause yellowing of the leaves.

This

Early Wonder® Camellias thrive with regular moisture but do not tolerate wet feet. Provide young plants with even and consistent moisture for the first two years, but avoid overwatering. Mulch the roots to help retain soil moisture between watering or rainfall events. Plants need less supplemental water once established, but need regular water during flower bud development, which begins in mid-summer. If drought occurs during this time, provide supplemental watering to prevent bud drop.

Temperature and Humidity

Early Wonder® Camellia is cold hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 through 9. Although the plants do not tolerate salt spray, they thrive in the warm, humid conditions of the Central, Lower and South Coast. In the Upper South, protect camellias from winter winds and plant in partial shade to prevent problems from temperature fluctuations during freezes.

Fertilizer

Camellia plants are heavy feeders and benefit from fertilizer applications with acid-forming azalea or camellia fertilizer throughout the growing season. The American Camellia Association recommends fertilizing in early March, early May and early July. Young camellias need higher concentrations of nitrogen than established plants to support growth, choose fertilizer accordingly. Apply only the fertilizer rate recommended on the label.

Pruning Early Wonder® Camellia

Camellias benefit from light pruning after they finish blooming to help maintain an attractive shape and open up the shade to allow air and sunlight to reach the inner leaves. Start by removing dead branches. Also look for branches that cross or rub against each other and remove one or both.
These pruning steps help open up the canopy. To shape plants, cut disproportionately long shoots back to a leaf or side branches. Lower branches can be shortened to maintain a more upright growth habit.

How to Get an Early Wonder® Camellia to Bloom

Some bud shedding is normal in camellias as plants often produce more flower buds than they can support, but when plants fail to fully bloom it is time to consider a change in plant culture. Too much nitrogen fertilizer encourages shoot and leaf growth at the expense of flowering. Similarly, too much or too little water can affect flowering, and summer drought can cause bud drop. Try to keep the water consistently moist, but not wet. Make sure the plants are placed in well-drained soil and be sure to supplement rainfall during periods of drought.

Early Wonder® Camellias bloom best when they receive adequate sunlight. Make sure your planting area is not too shady. Consider pruning a few branches of overhead trees to allow more sunlight to penetrate. Pruning camellias at the wrong time of year can also reduce blooming. When growth resumes in spring and summer, camellias begin to form flower buds. Pruning immediately after flowering is completed ensures that flower buds are not accidentally plucked. Finally, some causes of bud drop are out of your control. Late spring frosts can damage developing buds and cause them to drop.

wintering

Early Wonder® Camellia benefit from a layer of mulch to moderate soil temperatures and retain moisture in winter. In colder parts of the south, plant camellias in locations protected from strong winter winds. Make sure plants are well watered during the fall and winter. Avoid late-season pruning and fertilizer applications that encourage new growth that won’t have time to harden off before freezing temperatures arrive.

Camellias tolerate temperatures as low as 0˚F. If temperatures are predicted to drop below this level, consider protecting plants with blankets or several layers of garden wool. Camellias grown in containers are less insulated against cold temperatures and need protection when temperatures drop below 20˚F. Insulate pots by wrapping several layers of bubble wrap around the pots, extending to ground level and a few inches above the rim of the pot. Fill the top of the pot with dry leaves and add mulch around the base. Consider moving potted plants to an unheated greenhouse or garage when below-freezing conditions are expected.

Propagating Early Wonder® Camellia

Early Wonder® Camellia is patent protected and cannot be reproduced.

Early Wonder® Camellia Pot and Repotting

Camellias are easy to grow in containers and make beautiful additions to patio plants. Choose a container with good drainage and use a frost-resistant pot in areas where frost is expected in winter. When repotting nursery-grown camellias or repotting existing plants, choose a container one to two sizes larger than the existing pot. Camellias need to be transplanted into larger pots and fresh soil every two to three years.

Provide Early Wonder® Camellia with well-drained, acidic soil, such as rhododendrons and azaleas, or a commercial mix labeled for camellias. A mixture of equal parts coarse sand, finely shredded pine bark and oak leaf mold also works well. Container-grown camellias do best with morning sun and afternoon shade or all-day filtered light. They also dry out faster than those planted in the ground. Be sure to water the containers deeply when the top two inches of soil feels dry to the touch. For acid-loving plants, fertilize potted camellias with a water-soluble fertilizer according to the label
Directions from spring to mid-summer.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Insect pests on camellias include tea scales and aphids; both of these produce a waste product called honeydew, which encourages the growth of sooty mold on the leaves. Manage scales and aphids using horticultural oil following label directions. Once the insects are under control, problems with sooty mold will disappear.

Camellias are also susceptible to a number of diseases; the most serious of which are blossom blight, root rot, and camellia blight and canker. Most disease problems can be avoided through proper plant care, including planting in well-drained soil, proper fertilization and maintenance of appropriate soil acidity, and preventing damage or wounds to the stems.

Symptoms of camellia dieback and canker include sudden wilting and yellowing of leaves and death of branch tips. This fungal disease appears as gray spots on the bark and eventually develop into sunken cankers. Remove diseased branches by cutting them a few inches below the affected area and burn or throw away the prunings. Disinfect your pruning tools between cuts.

Blossom blight or petal blight is also caused by a fungal pathogen. It causes flower petals to quickly turn brown and drop off, typically within 24 to 48 hours. Practice good sanitation to limit the spread of this disease. Collect and destroy all fallen flowers, as well as any infected flowers still on the plant. Also remove and discard any mulch around the base of the plants and replace it with a new layer.

Common Problems

Paying attention to soil health also prevents chlorosis, a common problem in camellias. Chlorosis causes leaves to turn yellow while remaining green along the veins and is a result of improper soil pH. When planted in neutral or alkaline soil, camellias do not receive enough nutrients. This can be easily corrected by amending the soil with garden sulfur to adjust the pH.

Scorched or bronzed areas on leaves often indicate sunburn. Sunburn can be a problem when camellias receive too much sun. This is most common for plants located along a wall with heavy south or west exposure. Plants moved from shady places to bright sun may also suffer from sunburn. Providing plants with adequate protection from intense afternoon sun usually prevents this problem.

Camellias are hardy plants that weather the occasional bug, disease, and other challenges quite well. Basic plant culture and care goes a long way toward preventing common problems and ensuring your camellias stay healthy and bloom for years to come.

Relating to: 11 Best Shrubs for Winter Pots