Exquisite Camellia

Exquisite Camellia (Camellia sasanqua 'Exquisite') does its best work when the rest of the garden has gone quiet. It grows to around 2.5m tall and 2m wide, holds small glossy evergreen leaves all year, and covers itself in soft pink flowers through autumn and into winter. It is happy in part shade, safe around cats and dogs, and easy to keep at fence height.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when nothing else is trying. Pink blooms from autumn into the cold months, when most gardens have nothing to show.
• It works in part shade. Sasanquas take more sun than people expect, but they also flower along a shaded fence where hedging plants are hard to find.
• Safe around pets. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs, so this is a hedge you can plant along a dog run.
• Fragrant and full of bees. The flowers carry a light scent and feed bees and butterflies late in the season.
• An honest 2.5m. Left untrimmed it is more vigorous than sasanquas are often given credit for, and it clips back to 1.5m without complaint.

Where it works best

Hedging. Plant 1m apart for a dense hedge. At that spacing the plants meet within three seasons and the base stays clothed, which separates a camellia hedge from a row of shrubs.

Shaded boundaries and pots. A south facing fence or a bed under established trees suits it, and few evergreen screening plants flower well there. In a pot 500mm or wider it settles nearer 1.5m to 2m.

Growing Exquisite Camellia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and part shade is fine with slightly fewer flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is frost hardy once established, so southern and tableland gardens are well within range.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Camellias resent lime and dislike wet feet, so dig compost through the bed and raise it on heavy clay. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Consistent moisture through the first two summers matters more than volume, and a dry spell during bud set in late summer is the usual reason buds drop. Feed with a camellia fertiliser after flowering and again in late spring.

Pruning. Trim straight after flowering, before new growth starts, and you keep every bud for next season. For a formal hedge, a light shear then plus a tidy in mid summer is enough.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in four sizes: tube, 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and 300mm. The packs are the sensible way to buy a hedge, since a 10m run at 1m spacing needs ten plants. Tube stock is young and cheap, while the 300mm plants suit filling a gap in an existing hedge. Tube and 300mm are currently on backorder.

Camellias travel well but sulk briefly, so expect a few dropped leaves and no visible growth for the first month. Sasanquas are slow by nature, roughly 20 to 30cm a year. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A complete guide to growing camellias
• Compare the full camellia range
• Plants that are safe around pets
• Other hedging plants worth considering

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Sasanquas grow slowly, so closer spacing tempts people who want a quick result and simply leads to crowded, thin plants later.

Is it safe if my dog chews the leaves?

Yes. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs, which is why they turn up so often in gardens with pets. Eating any quantity of foliage can still upset a stomach.

Why did the flower buds drop before opening?

Almost always dryness during bud formation in late summer, or a sudden hot spell just before opening. Consistent watering and a good mulch layer solves it the following season.