Camellia - Camelia
The Camelia genus includes around 250 species, most of which are of great ornamental value. They originate from the acid terrain of India, the Himalayas, China, Japan and the islands of Java and Sumatra. The commonest of all is C. japonica, a species of small trees or showy evergreen shrubs known for their glossy coriaceous leaves and for their lovely flowers which normally appear in the dullest season of the year: mid-autumn to end of winter, lasting well into springtime. Camelias require soil or compost rich in humus, damp but well-drained, acid. Position is of the utmost importance: must be sheltered from ice, wind and full sun.
C. sasangua is similar to C. japonica but grows more rapidly. They are equally resistant to the cold, but the buds are less subject to frost damage, as they open from September to January when frosts are less frequent. Tolerates the sun (but not the extreme heat of a city balcony in the Italian sun). Makes beautiful hedges which flower in a period when there not many other plants are flowering.