Camelia Plant Care

Camelia (Polyspora axillaris) belongs to the Theaceae family within the Polyspora genus. Camelia is native to southern China, including Hong Kong and Hainan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Camelia is also known as Cape Jasmine, Gardenia, Tea Camellia.

Camelia displays an upright, dense shrub growth habit, reaching up to 6 ft tall with a spread of approximately 4 ft. Camelia produces showy, fragrant white or pink camellia-like flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Camelia every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Camelia thrives in filtered sunlight to partial shade. Avoid placing Camelia in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, as this can scorch the foliage.

Polyspora axillaris tolerates temperatures of 60–75°F. Camelia prefers humidity levels of 50–70%. A pebble tray or humidifier helps maintain adequate moisture around the plant.

Well-draining acidic soil with high organic content, such as a mix of peat moss, pine bark, and perlite. Good drainage is essential for Camelia to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Camelia every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with filtered sunlight to partial shade and well-draining acidic soil with high organic content, such as a mix of peat moss, pine bark, and perlite. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Camelia is suited to USDA Zone 8a – 11b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Camelia can spread to about 4 ft (1.2 m) and reach about 6 ft (2 m) tall. Space plants about 4 ft (1.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Camelia while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Camelia is hardy down to USDA zone 8a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Camelia can be propagated through seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to polyspora ceylanica plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Camelia is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Camelia grows outdoors in USDA Zone 8a – 11b. It survives winters down to planting zone 8a. Camelia is native to southern China, including Hong Kong and Hainan, Taiwan and Vietnam.