‘Yuletide’ Camellia Sasanqua

Presented by: Yusuf Officewala

Features• Key feature: Winter Flowering-

The “Yuletide’s” bloom season starts in about mid November• Deciduous/evergreen: Evergreen • Growth rate: Moderate • Water Needs: Water regularly, when top 3 in. of soil is dry. • Flower attributes: Flowers for Cutting, Showy Flowers • Special features: Water wise-

“Yuletide” as with all Camellias needs regular supplemental water when young but will become fairly drought tolerant with age

• Pruning time: winter after flowering.

Features• Plant types: Shrub, Camellia • Average landscape size:

Moderate growing 8 to 10 ft. tall and wide.

• Garden styles: Asian/Zen, Cottage

• Light needs: Filtered sun- This evergreen prefers to be in a place protected from strong winds as these will dry out its leaves. Place this shrub so that it will have light shade from the hot afternoon sun.

Features• Landscape uses:

Border, Mass Planting, Privacy Screen

• Flower color: Red • Foliage color:

Dark Green• The leaves: shiny

clean and more dense looking too.

History• Sometimes referred to as

Christmas Camellias, the sasanqua varieties of Camellia are native to the evergreen, coastal forests of southern Japan.

• It was introduced by Dutch traders into Europe in 1869

• The Japanese use the leaves of sasanqua to make tea, and the seeds are pressed into tea seed oil for use as a lubricant and in cooking and cosmetics.

Design Ideas• With its simple yet

elegant red flowers and golden centers, this sasanqua variety is among the most popular

• its upright habit helps it create a fine evergreen background for a house to cover foundations and to fill window-free walls.

• Can be used as an informal hedge, partition or privacy screen.

Care Information

• Requires a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system.

• Needs well drained soil, rich in organic matter. Has to be fed with an acid fertilizer after bloom.

• Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch.(a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination.)