Camellia japonica ‘Bonomiana’

Dazzlingly pretty, Camellia japonica ‘Bonomiana’ features medium-sized flowers, 3-4 in. wide (7-10 cm), with over 80 petals, colored white to pale pink, and finely streaked with darker pink. The sophisticated, formal double blooms include many rows of petals with a central cone of tightly furled petals. They are abundantly produced over several months in mid-season (January – March in the Northern Hemisphere; June – August in the Southern Hemisphere). The luxuriant foliage of glossy dark green leaves is evergreen and very ornamental year-round.

• This evergreen shrub has an upright to spreading habit and grows up to 6-10 ft. tall (180-300 cm) and 6-7 ft. wide (180-210 cm)
• A part shade to full shade lover, this plant is best grown in consistently moist, acidic, organically rich, well-drained soils. Provide a site sheltered from cold, dry winds as buds and flowers may be damaged by cold winds. Protect from the early morning sun and the direct hot summer afternoon sun.
• May be attacked by aphids, scale insects, and vine weevil
• Mass in mixed shrub borders for dramatic winter blooms. Great flowering shrub for woodland gardens or as a screen and hedge. Perfect as a specimen plant and may be effectively grown in tubs or large containers.
• Apply a root mulch (leaves or shredded bark)
• Prune after flowering. Prune to thin branching and control size and shape.

Camellia japonica is the pre-eminent species of the genus and counts over 30 000 cultivars in a wide array of flower forms and colors. The blooms can reach 5 in. across (12 cm) and create a gorgeous floral display from late winter to spring. They range in color from pure white to soft pink to dark red and may be single, semi-double, double, formal double, or full peony form. Slow grower, this broadleaved, evergreen shrub may grow up to 25 feet (7.5 m), but more often to 6-12 feet (180-360 cm) with a spread of 6-10 feet (180-300 cm). Its shapely habit, handsome, glossy foliage, and fabulous flowers have attracted gardeners for hundreds of years in Asia. Long-lived, some Japanese camellias, around the emperor’s palace in Japan, are known to be more than 500 years old. Unfortunately, Japanese camellias are not always cold-hardy (USDA Hardiness Zone 7 – 9).