Paradise Blush Camellia

Paradise Blush Camellia (Camellia sasanqua 'Paradise Blush') is an upright sasanqua reaching about 3m tall and 1.8m wide, carrying white flowers flushed pink through the cooler months when most of the garden has stopped. It clips into a narrow hedge, holds its shape in part shade and wind, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when nothing else does. White blooms blushed pink open through autumn and winter, filling the quietest part of the gardening year.
• Narrow enough for a hedge. At about 3m tall and 1.8m wide it screens a fence line from a bed only a metre or so deep.
• Happy in part shade. It still flowers in a part shaded bed where most flowering shrubs sulk.
• Fragrant, and safe around pets. The flowers are lightly scented, and camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs.
• Frost hardy and wind tolerant. It handles coastal salt and exposure, so it suits cool southern gardens as well as subtropical ones.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row. Sasanquas are slower than a lilly pilly, so allow three to four seasons to close.

Topiary and shaped plants. Small leaves and dense twiggy growth make it one of the better shrubs for a clipped ball, cone or standard.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 500mm or wider suits it, and in a container it settles nearer 2m. Potted camellias need consistent water and an acidic mix.

Growing Paradise Blush Camellia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is the sweet spot, though it takes more sun than a japonica. It grows in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, is frost hardy once established, and tolerates coastal wind. Not a plant for the wet tropics.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Camellias are surface rooted, so plant slightly high, never bury the stem, and mulch 75mm deep, kept off the trunk. Alkaline soil yellows the leaves between the veins.

Water and feed. Keep the water even from bud set through flowering, since dryness then is the usual cause of buds dropping unopened. An azalea and camellia fertiliser after flowering, and again in late summer, covers the year.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering finishes, before the spring flush sets next season's buds. Light annual trimming builds a far better hedge than an occasional hard cut, though it reshoots from old wood if you must reduce it.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown: 140mm pots in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single 300mm plants. The 140mm and 200mm sizes are the value choice for a long hedge, worth the extra season they take. The 250mm and 300mm plants arrive branched, with a season or two of growth on them.

Camellias are slow growing, which is worth knowing before you buy: expect roughly 20 to 30cm a year rather than a metre. A few dropped leaves after transit are normal. 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

• Our guide to camellia varieties and care covers soil, feeding and bud drop.
• Compare flower forms across the camellia range.
• Weigh it against the alternatives in hedging and screening plants.
• Find more plants that are safe for pets.

Common questions

How far apart do I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Sasanquas grow slowly, so allow three to four seasons for the hedge to close, trimming lightly every year from planting.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs, which is why this one sits in our pet safe range.

Why are the buds dropping before they open?

Almost always uneven watering while the buds form, sometimes a sudden cold snap. Keep the soil evenly moist from late summer onward and mulch well.