Camellia ‘Spring Mist’

Fragrant and vigorous, Camellia ‘Spring Mist’ features lovely, small, semi-double, blush pink flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), gradually shading to almost white at the petal edges. Golden anthers and creamy filaments grace their center. The exquisite flowers are borne in profusion along the slender branches over a fairly long period extending from early to mid-season (October to March in the Northern Hemisphere; March to August in the Southern Hemisphere). Rich with a very pleasing fragrance, they offer a beautiful contrast against the lush evergreen foliage of glossy green leaves, which interestingly emerge with bronze and coppery shades. ‘Spring Mist’ is a camellia hybrid resulting from the cross of Camellia japonica and Camellia lutchuensis.

• This medium-sized evergreen shrub has a spreading and open habit and grows at a medium rate up to 5 ft. tall (150 cm) and 3-5 ft. wide (90-150 cm)
• A part 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 lutchuensis is a deliciously fragrant native to southernmost China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, where winters are mild. Prized by breeders for its fragrance, this camellia is actively incorporated in the development of fragrant Camellia hybrids. Slow-growing, this camellia species makes a lovely shrub of upright, open habit, generally no taller than 9 ft. (270 cm). Its evergreen, glossy dark green foliage is attractive year-round. Blooming from late midwinter to early spring, its small to medium flowers, with pink-flushed outer petals, are pure white and clustered at the branch tips. Unfortunately, Camellia lutchuensis is not cold-hardy (USDA Hardiness Zone 8 – 9).