Setsugekka Camellia

Setsugekka Camellia (Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka') is the white sasanqua the others are measured against: large single blooms of pure white ruffled petals around a boss of gold stamens, poured over glossy foliage through autumn and into winter. It grows upright to about 3m by 2m, takes far more sun than the fussy japonica camellias, hedges and espaliers beautifully, and is pet friendly. For an elegant flowering screen in the cold months, it has few rivals.

Why you'll love it

• White flowers when little else blooms. The autumn and winter display lights up the garden's quietest season, and bees work the golden centres on every mild day.
• Sun tolerant for a camellia. Sasanquas take open positions that scorch japonicas, which makes Setsugekka a genuine screening plant, not just a shade shrub.
• Screen, hedge or living wallpaper. Dense to the ground when clipped at 1m spacings, and the single best camellia for espalier along a fence or wall.
• Pet friendly. Camellias are safe around cats and dogs, rare among flowering screens.
• Polished all year. Small, deep green lacquered leaves keep it handsome for the ten months it is not flowering.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart for a dense 2m to 3m flowering screen; it clips as cleanly as any formal hedge.

Espalier. Trained flat on wires it turns a bare fence into a flowering wall barely 30cm deep.

Feature planting and pots. A single specimen or a matched potted pair brings the winter show to entries and courtyards.

Growing Setsugekka in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade; more sun means more flowers. It thrives in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Slightly acidic, organic and well drained. Compost at planting, 75mm of mulch kept off the trunk, and no digging over the shallow roots.

Water and feed. Even moisture through summer while buds form, then established plants handle dry spells. Feed with a camellia and azalea fertiliser after flowering finishes in late winter.

Pruning. Once a year, straight after flowering. Hedges can take a second light facing in midsummer; espaliers just need wayward shoots tied or tipped.

What to expect when it arrives

Setsugekka ships in every serious size: tubes (grown to order, shown as backorder), 140mm packs of 10 and 200mm packs of 6 for hedge runs, 250mm packs of 3, single 300mm and 400mm plants, advanced 45L stock, and occasional 500L specimen plants that arrive as a finished screen (grown to order; we confirm timing and freight first). Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Autumn deliveries often arrive in bud or flower. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full camellia range
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Plants safe for pets

Common questions

How does Setsugekka compare to Pure Silk?

Setsugekka carries larger, pure white single flowers with a looser, romantic look; Pure Silk's blooms are blushed pink at the edges. Both hedge at 1m spacings; choose by the flower you want to look at all winter.

Can it really grow in full sun?

Yes, with mulch and establishment watering. Sasanquas are the sun camellias; it is japonicas that demand shade. In the subtropics a little afternoon relief keeps the flowers pristine.

How long does the flowering season last?

Six to ten weeks through autumn into early winter, opening in waves, with fallen petals carpeting the ground beneath, one of its prettiest habits.

Is it suitable for espalier?

It is the classic choice. The flexible young growth trains flat easily, flowers along the whole framework, and a wired fence panel becomes a flowering wall in three seasons.