Camellia sasanqua ‘Marge Miller’

Camellia sasanqua 'Marge Miller' (Camellia sasanqua 'Marge Miller') is the first true weeping groundcover camellia, and it changed what this plant can be asked to do. It stays around 800mm tall and spreads to 2m, cascading rather than climbing, and covers itself in soft pink semi double flowers through autumn and winter. Planted 1.2m apart it drapes over a retaining wall like nothing else in flower at that time of year.

Why you'll love it

• It weeps instead of standing up. Every other sasanqua wants to be a shrub or a hedge. This one runs sideways and spills down, which suits walls, banks and wide pots.
• Flowers in the quiet months. Soft pink blooms from autumn through winter, and the semi double form leaves the stamens open for bees.
• Safe around pets. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can go along a path or a low wall your animals use.
• Frost hardy and coastal tough. It handles cold southern winters and salt laden wind, a rare pairing.

Where it works best

Retaining walls and slopes. Plant 1.2m apart along the top of a wall and let the branches hang over the face. On a bank, use the same spacing in staggered rows.

Groundcover and borders. Hold 1.2m spacing across a bed for a flowering cover that stays under knee height. It is slow, so expect three seasons to close.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot at least 500mm across suits it, with growth trailing over the rim. It is also grown as a cascading standard that weeps from head height.

Growing Marge Miller camellia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade gives the best flowering and keeps the blooms from browning. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold inland and southern districts are fine. In the humid tropics it is out of range.

Soil. Slightly acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Camellias dislike lime and wet roots equally, so on clay build the bed up with compost and aged pine bark. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly through the first two summers, particularly while buds form in late summer, since dry roots then drop the buds you were waiting for. Feed a camellia and azalea fertiliser in early spring and after flowering.

Pruning. Very little. Tip prune the trailing shoots after flowering to thicken the cover, and trim anything that lifts out of the weeping habit. Never cut into bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten, 180mm and 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single 300mm plants. Be realistic about the small sizes: this is a slow grower, so tubes and 140mm plants take three to four years to read as groundcover. For a wall you want covered soon, choose 250mm or 300mm.

Camellias travel well because the leaves are leathery, and some bud drop after transit is normal rather than a fault. Keep the root zone evenly damp for six weeks, and expect new growth in spring. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Everything you need to know about camellias
• Compare the wider camellia range
• The best trailing plants for a retaining wall
• Plants safe for pets

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One point two metres apart, in a single row along a wall or staggered rows on a bank. That gives each plant room for its full 2m spread.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, and honestly so. Expect 200mm to 300mm of spread a year once established, so three or four seasons before a bed reads as continuous cover.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, and the weeping habit suits a raised position. Use a pot 500mm or wider with an acidic potting mix, and never let it dry out in late summer.