The name "camellia" is heard even by those who have never seen this plant in their lives. Undoubtedly, this is the merit of Alexandre Dumas and his famous novel "The Lady of the Camellias", which immortalized these beautiful flowers and gave them an aura of romance that remains to this day. The name of the flower, although it sounds quite intriguing, comes only from the name of the Czech missionary Kamel, who brought this plant to Europe from Manila (Philippines) in the 17th century.
A little bit of botany
The genus "camellia" belongs to the family "tea" and has, according to the latest data, more than two hundred species. There are an order of magnitude more varieties bred by breeders. As a rule, these are shrubs or small trees, evergreen and flowering in winter. Camellia leaves are shiny, dense, elliptical in shape, dark green in color. Their size, depending on the type of plant, varies from 3 to 15 cm in length. Camellia is a subtropical plant and blooms during the coolest time of the year: late autumn, winter and early spring.
Effective camellia flowers in appearance resemble a rose. Variety of themamazing! They are terry and semi-double, and they are simple, elegantly smooth, very regular in shape, with an average diameter of 3 to 15 cm. In addition to traditional white and red flowers, camellia petals can be of all shades of pink, yellow and even variegated: with stripes, patches or edging. The flowers of most camellia species have practically no smell, with a few exceptions. The seeds formed after flowering are similar to small nuts in a hard shell, which are in dry capsules. Flowers on the plant last for a long time - about a month. In some species, they do not dry out, but fall off entirely, respectively, do not spoil the look of the bush.
Camellia sinensis: just tea
Behind such an elegant name as Chinese camellia (Camellia sinensis), there is nothing more than a tea bush. The homeland of this plant is Southeast Asia, and it was first cultivated in China: the leaves of camellia sinensis are the raw material for the most common drink on earth. Further, the camellia came to Japan and was extremely popular among the samurai. The first written mention of camellias dates back to the 1st century AD and is associated specifically with Japan.
Much later, the plant was brought to Europe. According to various sources, this happened from the 16th to the 18th centuries, but it is absolutely certain that there the camellia was considered a valuable and expensive plant for a long time, worthy only of the aristocracy. By the end of the 18th century, camellias made their way to the United States - both as tea bushes and ornamental plants. Camellias appeared in Russia in the 19th century. Like objectsgardening, they were very much appreciated in high society. At the same time, attempts were also recorded to grow the tea bush: first in the Crimea, and in Soviet times - in the Krasnodar Territory.
Appearance
Chinese tea camellia does not look as spectacular as its decorative counterparts, but it is worth trying to grow it at home in a pot. Its white flowers with yellow centers resemble jasmine. They are not very large, but have a delicate aroma. Generally speaking, any camellia is not a house plant. Conditions in city apartments are too unsuitable for him. Therefore, camellias are considered very capricious - despite the fact that in their native climatic zones they grow in open ground without any problems, literally like weeds, even withstanding slight frosts. But if you know the nuances of growing these beauties, then perhaps they will please their patient owners for a long time. Camellias grow slowly, but live a very long time: in their natural environment - hundreds of years.
Caring for camellia: main problems
The main enemies of the tea bush in modern apartments are excessive dryness of the air, drafts and too high temperatures in winter. Too heavy soil can also be a problem, as a result of which rotting of the roots occurs and, as a result, the death of the plant, as well as an excessively deep planting of the flower. During flowering, Camellia sinensis should be in a cool place - it just needs the right wintering. Provide it in conditionscentral heating is not easy. An insulated balcony, where the temperature does not drop below 5 ºС, is an ideal place for her for this period. In a private house, a cool terrace is suitable.
Humidity is perfectly controlled by spraying, which should avoid getting moisture directly on the flowers, and trays with wet expanded clay. Watering should be done carefully: at low temperatures, water stagnation may occur. However, if the soil for the camellia is chosen correctly, it will be problematic to fill the flower.
The nuances of growing camellias
There is an opinion that during flowering camellia should not be touched: replanted, rotated and rearranged. This is not so: the flowering period of this shrub, oddly enough, coincides with the dormant period, and therefore at this time you can do anything with it, even replant it, without fear of ruining your pet. Transplanting is best done towards the end of the flowering period, when there are still flowers on the plant.
When budding - usually in the summer - camellias need good lighting and moderate watering, as well as a temperature of about 20 ºС or even a little higher. It is better to exclude direct sunlight by placing a pot with a plant on a southwestern window. The optimum temperature for ripening buds is not higher than 15 ºС, and even less for the flowering period - from 8 to 12 ºС. Water for irrigation must be soft, you can even slightly acidify it. Camellias do not tolerate excess calcium. If the temperature and humidity conditions do not matchrequired, the camellia will not bloom and drop buds.
Soil requirements
Chinese camellia needs acidic loose soil. You can use ready-made mixtures for azaleas or rhododendrons, consisting of peat, leafy soil, perlite and sand. Soil from a coniferous forest is also fine.
Fertilizers for camellia require a minimum amount. It is better to feed the plants in the spring, during its active growth. Ordinary soluble complex fertilizers will do. As for pests, camellia can be affected by aphids or spider mites, but this happens, according to gardeners, extremely rarely.
Reproduction of camellia
Most often, camellia is propagated by apical cuttings with 3-5 developed leaves. Rooting shoots takes a long time, 3-4 months. There is another way: you can try to grow camellia from fresh seeds. Varietal characteristics, unfortunately, are not preserved. To begin with, the seeds of camellia sinensis are checked for germination by immersing them in water. If a seed floats, it will not germinate. Quality seeds should be soaked for several hours in hot water (about 70 ºС), changing the water three times. Thick skin can be pierced.
After all the manipulations, the seeds are placed in moist soil not too deep - 3-5 cm is enough. A greenhouse is organized for crops, covering the container with film or glass and setting it in a warm place. Ventilation is required periodically. Shoots should appear in 1-2 months. You can transplant them into separate pots after opening two leaves, without deepening the root collar.
Common types of camellias and their uses
Besides Camellia sinensis, the following types of plants are widely known: mountain, oilseed, net, Japanese, Saluen, golden-flowered, frost-resistant Williams hybrids and others.
Japanese-Chinese bush camellia is of great interest to breeders. Basically, their efforts are aimed at breeding flowers of new shades - purple, coral, cream, pearl white, as well as frost-resistant varieties. This is very important for our country, since there are only a few regions where these beautiful flowers can grow in open ground without any problems.
It is interesting that the Japanese-Chinese Evengol camellia has found application in medicine. From its young leaves, an essential oil is obtained, which is part of antiseptic and anesthetic preparations.
