Camellia (Camellia japonica) - evergreen flowering shrub - 15 cm pot - Height 30 cm

Camellia japonica 'Tricolour' is considered a hardy shrub, capable of withstanding temperatures generally dropping down to -10 °C to -12 °C depending on conditions. In the majority of French regions, it spends the winter outdoors without any particular protection. However, its flower buds formed as early as autumn are more sensitive to late spring frosts: a frost cover placed in anticipation of a cold night is enough to preserve the bloom.

The 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) blooms in early spring, generally from February to April depending on the climate and exposure. It is one of the first shrubs to flower in the garden, often when other plants have not yet restarted. The flowering can last several weeks, up to six to eight weeks in good conditions, with a succession of buds opening gradually.

The 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) thrives in partial shade or shade, which sets it apart from many spring-flowering shrubs. A location under light tree cover, at the edge of a woodland or against a north- or east-facing wall, is perfect for it. The afternoon sun must be avoided at all costs, as it dries out the evergreen foliage and causes the flower buds to drop prematurely. The ideal location receives two to three hours of soft morning light, then remains shaded for the rest of the day.

The 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) strictly requires an acidic to slightly acidic soil, with a pH between 5 and 6.5, rich in organic matter, moist and well-drained. A calcareous or overly alkaline soil quickly causes iron chlorosis, which manifests as a yellowing of the foliage between the veins and progressive decline. If your land is naturally calcareous, opt for growing in a pot filled with a special substrate for ericaceous plants or rhododendrons.

The dropping of flower buds on the 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) is the most common sign of inadequate watering, particularly water stress occurring in autumn when the buds are forming. To prevent this, ensure that the soil remains consistently moist from September until the end of the flowering period, without allowing the growing medium to dry out completely. Hard tap water should be avoided as much as possible: opt for rainwater or filtered water instead, as lime gradually raises the soil pH and hinders nutrient uptake.

Yes, the 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) is very well suited to growing in a pot or container on a shaded terrace or east-facing balcony. Choose a large enough container with drainage holes, filled with a specific substrate for acid-loving plants or ericaceous soil. In a pot, controlling the pH and watering is easier than in the ground, which is an advantage in alkaline soils. Water regularly with non-hard water and apply a special fertilizer for acid-loving plants in spring and summer to compensate for the limited nutrients in a small volume of substrate.

The 'Tricolour' Camellia (Camellia japonica) is renowned for its slow growth, a characteristic trait of the species. Under optimal conditions of shaded exposure and well-maintained acidic soil, it gains an average of five to ten centimetres in height per year. At maturity, reached after many years, it can exceed two metres in height in a garden, forming a beautiful dense and bushy shrub. This slowness is actually an advantage in small gardens and pots: the shrub remains easily manageable and requires almost no structural pruning.