The name "camellia" is heard even by those who have never seen this plant in their lives. Undoubtedly, this is the merit of Alexander Dumas and his famous novel “The Lady with the Camellias”, which perpetuated these beautiful flowers and gave them a halo of romance, which remains to this day. The name of the flower, although it sounds quite intriguing, came only from the name of the Czech missionary Kamela, who brought this plant to Europe from Manila (Philippines) in the 17th century.
Bit of nerd
The genus "camellia" belongs to the family "tea" and has, according to recent data, more than two hundred species. Varieties bred by breeders are an order of magnitude larger. As a rule, these are shrubs or small trees, evergreen and blooming in winter. The leaves of camellia are shiny, dense, elliptical in shape, dark green in color. Their size, depending on the type of plant, varies from 3 to 15 cm in length. Camellia is a subtropical plant, and blooms in the coolest time of the year: late autumn, winter and early spring.
Spectacular camellia flowers in appearance resemble a rose. The variety strikes them! They are terry and semi-terry, and are simple, elegantly smooth, very regular in shape, with an average diameter of 3 to 15 cm. In addition to traditional white and red flowers, camellia petals can be all shades of pink, yellow and even colorful: with stripes, interspersed or edged. Flowers of most types of camellia are practically odorless, with some exceptions. Seeds formed after flowering are like small nuts in a hard shell in dry capsules. Flowers on the plant last a long time - about a month. In some species, they do not dry out, but completely disappear, respectively, do not spoil the appearance of the bush.
Camellia Chinese: just tea
Behind such a graceful name as Camellia sinensis (Camellia sinensis), there is nothing more than a tea bush. The homeland of this plant is Southeast Asia, and it was first cultivated in China: the leaves of Chinese camellia are the raw material for the most common drink on earth. Then camellia came to Japan and was extremely popular among samurai. The first written mention of camellias dates back to the 1st century AD and is associated with Japan.
Much later, the plant was brought to Europe. According to various sources, this happened from the 16th to the 18th century, but it is absolutely certain that for a long time camellia was considered a valuable and expensive plant worthy only of the aristocracy. By the end of the 18th century, camellias came to the United States, both as tea bushes and as ornamental plants. Camellias appeared in Russia in the 19th century. As objects of gardening, they were very much appreciated in high society. At the same time, attempts were made to grow just a tea bush: first in the Crimea, and in Soviet times - in the Krasnodar Territory.
Appearance
The Chinese tea camellia does not look as spectacular as its decorative counterparts, but is worthy of trying to grow it in a pot at home. Her white flowers with yellow centers resemble jasmine. They are not very large, but have a delicate aroma. Generally speaking, any camellia is not a domestic plant. Too unsuitable conditions for him in city apartments. Therefore, camellias are considered very moody - despite the fact that in their native climatic zones they grow in the open ground without any problems, literally like weeds, even withstanding small frosts. But if you know the nuances of growing these beauties, then perhaps they will delight their patient hosts for a long time. Camellias grow slowly, but live very long: in the natural environment - hundreds of years.
Camellia Care: Key Issues
The main enemies of the tea bush in modern apartments are excessive air dryness, drafts and too high temperatures in winter. The problem can be too heavy soil, resulting in rotting of the roots and, as a result, the death of the plant, as well as overly deep planting of the flower. During flowering, Chinese camellia should be in a cool place - it just needs the right wintering. It is not so simple to provide it in the conditions of central heating. An insulated balcony on which the temperature does not fall below 5 º is an ideal place for her for this period. The private house has a cool terrace.
Humidity is perfectly regulated by spraying, in which moisture should be avoided directly on the flowers, and trays with wet expanded clay. Watering should be done carefully: water stagnation can occur at low temperatures. However, if the soil for camellia is chosen correctly, it will be problematic to fill the flower.
The nuances of growing camellia
There is an opinion that during flowering, camellia should not be touched: transplanted, rotated and rearranged. This is not so: the flowering period of this shrub, oddly enough, coincides with the rest period, and therefore at this time you can do anything with it, even transplant, without fear of killing the pet. It is better to deal with a transplant near the end of the flowering period, when the plant still has flowers.
During the laying of the kidneys - as a rule, this happens in the summer - camellias need good lighting and moderate watering, as well as a temperature of about 20 º or even slightly higher. Direct sunlight is best avoided by placing a pot of plants on the southwest window. The optimum temperature for bud ripening is no higher than 15 º, and for the flowering period even less - from 8 to 12 º. Water for irrigation must be soft, you can even slightly acidify it. Camellias do not tolerate excess calcium. If the temperature and humidity conditions do not meet the requirements, the camellia will not bloom and will reset the buds.
Soil requirements
Chinese camellia needs acidic loose soil. You can use ready-made mixtures for azaleas or rhododendrons, consisting of peat, leaf soil, perlite and sand. Soil from coniferous forest is also perfect.
Fertilizers for camellia require a minimum amount. It is better to feed the plants in the spring, during its active growth. Conventional soluble complex fertilizers are suitable. As for pests, camellia can be affected by aphids or spider mites, but this happens, according to gardeners, is extremely rare.
Camellia propagation
Most often, camellia is propagated by apical cuttings with 3-5 developed leaves. Rooting of shoots takes place long enough, 3-4 months. There is another way: you can try to grow camellia from fresh seeds. Unfortunately, varietal characters are not saved. To begin with, the seeds of Chinese camellia are checked for germination by immersing them in water. If a seed has surfaced, it will not rise. High-quality seeds should be soaked for several hours in hot water (about 70 º), changing the water three times. Thick peel can be chopped.
After all the manipulations, the seeds are not placed too wet in the moist soil - 3-5 cm is enough. A greenhouse is organized for crops, covering the container with foil or glass and setting it in a warm place. Periodically necessary ventilation. Shoots should appear in 1-2 months. They can be transplanted into separate pots after the opening of two leaves, without deepening the root neck.
Common types of camellias and their application
In addition to Chinese camellia, the following plant species are widely known: mountain, oilseed, netted, Japanese, saluensky, golden-flowered, frost-resistant Williams hybrids and others.
Camellia Japanese-Chinese bush is very interested in breeders. Basically, their efforts are aimed at breeding flowers of new shades - purple, coral, cream, pearl white, as well as frost-resistant varieties. This is very important for our country, since there are only a few regions where these beautiful flowers can grow in open ground without problems.
Interestingly, Japanese-Chinese Eugenolian camellia was used in medicine. From its young leaves, essential oil is obtained, which is part of antiseptic and anesthetic drugs.