Hiryu Camellia

Hiryu Camellia (Camellia hiemalis 'Hiryu') is the camellia to plant when you want a screen that flowers in the middle of winter. It reaches about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, holds glossy dark foliage year round, and covers itself in deep rose red flowers from late autumn onward. It is also not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the quiet season. The flowers open from late autumn into winter, when almost nothing else in the garden is doing anything.
• A screen and a flowering shrub at once. Dense evergreen foliage means the privacy works all year, not just in bloom.
• It takes shade. Hiryu flowers well in part shade, useful along the south side of a house or under high tree canopy.
• Pet friendly. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs.
• Neat by nature. The habit is upright and tight, so hedging takes one trim rather than constant correction.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the plants knit into a dense 2m to 2.5m screen, though be patient: camellias are slow, and a solid screen takes three to four seasons.

Shaded boundaries. Its tolerance of part shade makes it one of the few flowering screens that works on a south facing fence or under established trees.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 500mm or wider holds it for years and keeps it nearer 1.5m. As a single specimen it also espaliers well.

Growing Hiryu Camellia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and full shade is too dark for good flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, tolerates humidity, and is frost hardy once established. Hot afternoon sun browns the petals quickly.

Soil. Camellias want acidic, free draining soil rich in organic matter. Work compost and aged pine bark through the bed first, and never plant deep: the top of the root ball should sit level with the soil. Mulch 75mm deep, off the trunk.

Water and feed. Keep the soil evenly moist through spring and summer while the buds form, since summer drought stress is the usual reason buds drop before opening. Feed a camellia fertiliser after flowering, then again in mid summer.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering, before the new buds set. It takes a light shaping trim well, and older plants can be thinned to improve airflow.

What to expect when it arrives

Hiryu is grown in eight sizes: tube stock, 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, single 300mm and 400mm pots, then 45L, 100L and 500L specimens. Tube and 200mm plants are young and take several years to screen, but they suit a long boundary. From 45L up you are buying an established shrub with flowering wood on it.

Some bud or leaf drop after transit is normal for camellias, not a fault. 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. Expect slow, steady growth of 20cm to 30cm a year, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Everything you need to know about growing camellias
• Compare varieties across the full camellia range
• Browse other hedging and screening plants
• See more plants safe for cats and dogs

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer planting crowds the roots without closing the screen faster, and camellias resent competition while establishing.

Why are the buds dropping before they open?

Almost always inconsistent watering the previous summer, when the buds were forming. Keep the soil evenly moist from spring onwards and mulch well.

Will it grow in full sun?

It will survive, but the flowers brown fast in hot afternoon sun and the foliage yellows. Morning sun with afternoon shade gives the best result.

How quickly does it screen?

Slowly. Growth runs 20cm to 30cm a year, so a solid screen takes three to four seasons from 300mm stock and longer from tubes.