Camellia sasanqua ‘Star Above Star’

Camellia sasanqua 'Star Above Star' (Camellia sasanqua) is the camellia to choose when you want a screen that flowers. It reaches about 3m tall and 2m wide, holds glossy evergreen foliage right down to ground level, and covers itself in semi double white blooms edged in lavender pink through autumn. Sasanquas take far more sun and wind than the japonica camellias, which is what makes this one a genuine hedging plant.

Why you'll love it

• A hedge that flowers. Most evergreen screens give you green and nothing else. This one adds weeks of bloom through autumn.
• Dense to the ground. It branches low and holds foliage at the base, so there is no bare gap along a fence line.
• Sun, wind and humidity tolerant. Unlike the fussier camellias it stands in an open position and takes a coastal breeze.
• Safe around cats and dogs. Camellias are not toxic to pets, which matters at nose height along a boundary.
• Low maintenance. One trim a year after flowering is the whole job, and a well sited plant lasts decades.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies close into a solid screen and each plant still has room to flower properly. For a formal clipped face, trim twice a year.

Feature planting. A single specimen against a wall or in a corner shapes beautifully, and sasanquas espalier well on a flat surface.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 500mm or wider holds one long term, settling it at around 2m rather than 3m. Use an acidic potting mix and expect to water often.

Growing Camellia sasanqua in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to partial shade, with more sun giving more flowers, provided the roots are mulched and watered. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is frost hardy once established. Young plants want shade from harsh afternoon sun.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and enriched with compost. Camellias are shallow rooted, so plant slightly high on heavy soils and hold 75mm of mulch over the root zone, clear of the trunk. Alkaline soil yellows the leaves between the veins.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first two summers, then weekly in dry spells. Feed with an azalea and camellia fertiliser in early spring and again once flowering finishes.

Pruning. Trim straight after flowering in late winter, which gives the plant the whole growing season to set next year's buds. It will reshoot from older wood if a hedge has been neglected.

What to expect when it arrives

This camellia is grown in four sizes: tube stock, 200mm pots in packs of six, 250mm pots in packs of three, and single 300mm plants. Tubes are the economical way to plant a long hedge and take three to four years to screen. The packs suit a boundary run, and a 300mm plant gives you a bushy shrub with real presence on day one.

Camellias are slow growing, so expect roughly 20 to 30cm of height a year rather than a quick wall of green. Some bud or leaf drop after transit is normal. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Everything you need to know about growing camellias
• Browse the full camellia range
• Compare screening plants from 2m to 4m
• More plants that are safe around pets

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Any closer and the plants compete without closing the screen faster. Any wider and you wait an extra season for the gaps to fill.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Camellias are not toxic to cats or dogs, so this is a sensible choice for a boundary hedge in a garden with pets.

Why are the buds dropping before they open?

Almost always water stress in the summer when the buds were forming. Mulch heavily and water deeply through summer rather than lightly and often.