Great Eastern Camellia

Great Eastern Camellia (Camellia japonica 'Great Eastern') flowers in the depths of winter, when almost nothing else in the garden does. The blooms are large, semi double and deep rose red, carried against glossy evergreen foliage on a shrub reaching about 3m tall and 1.8m wide. It is a slow grower, and that patience buys a dense, long lived screening shrub for the shaded side of a garden where sun lovers stay thin.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the coldest months. Large deep rose red semi double flowers through winter, filling the gap between autumn and spring.
• An evergreen screen for shade. Most dense screening plants demand full sun. This one prefers morning sun with afternoon shade, so it works on a south or east facing boundary.
• Glossy foliage all year. Out of flower the dark polished leaves hold a formal look, and the shrub stays clothed to the base rather than lifting into bare legs.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it suits a family garden or a courtyard.
• Long lived and low fuss. Camellias routinely outlast the gardeners who plant them.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.2m apart for a dense screen or informal flowering hedge. Be realistic about the timeline: this is a slow grower, so a screen from 200mm plants is a three to five year project.

Feature planting and pots. A single specimen beside an entry earns its place in winter and looks composed the rest of the year. It also grows well in a large pot of acidic mix, which suits a shaded balcony and puts the flowers where they will be seen in July.

Growing Great Eastern camellia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is what this variety wants rather than merely tolerates, because hot afternoon sun scorches leaves and shortens the flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and is frost hardy and comfortable in humidity. Hot dry inland and arid gardens are outside its range.

Soil. Slightly acidic, rich in organic matter and free draining. Camellias resent alkaline soil and waterlogging, so dig compost through the bed, plant slightly high, and mulch clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Keep the soil evenly moist through the first two summers, particularly while buds form in late summer and autumn, because a dry spell then drops the buds. Feed with a camellia and azalea fertiliser after flowering and again in late summer.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering, before new buds set, or you will cut off the coming season's display. Light shaping is usually enough, and it reshoots from older wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as a 200mm pack of six, sized for a screen or hedge run rather than a single specimen. These are established young plants with a formed framework, not advanced shrubs, and given the slow growth rate you are buying a long term result, not instant cover.

Some bud or leaf drop after transit is normal on a plant carrying winter buds, and is not a fault. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Everything worth knowing about growing camellias
• Compare the full camellia range
• Browse plants for partial shade
• See other hedging and screening options

Common questions

How fast will it grow into a screen?

Slowly, and it is better to know that up front. From 200mm plants at 1.2m spacing, expect three to five years for a solid screen. What you gain is a dense hedge needing one trim a year instead of three.

Why are the flower buds dropping before they open?

Usually a dry spell while the buds were forming in late summer and autumn. Consistent watering through bud formation is the most effective fix.

Can it take full sun, and when should I prune?

It would rather not: morning sun with afternoon shade gives the best foliage and longest lasting flowers. Prune straight after flowering, because buds for next winter form in the following months.