Camellia gracilis
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. According to some botanists this species is part of C. caudata. Wall., ranging from the Himalayas and Burma to China and Indo-China. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a woodland soil but thrives in a warm open well-drained loam if leafmould is added. Prefers a wet summer and a cool but not very frosty dry winter. Plants are not very self-compatible, self-fertilized flowers produce few seeds and these are of low viability.
Propagation
Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall and give them some protection from winter cold for their first year or three outdoors[K]. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, August/September in a shaded frame. High percentage but slow. Cuttings of firm wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, end of June in a frame. Leaf-bud cuttings, July/August in a frame.
Edible uses
An oil is obtained from the seed.
Habitat
Woodlands and thickets, especially by streams at elevations of 400 - 1400 metres in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Taiwan Provinces.
Native range
E. Asia - Taiwan.