#18 Camellia sasanqua Common Names: sasanqua camellia Family: Theaceae (tea Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #18

'Bonanza' is a low growing shrubby variety. Click to download a large version.

Sasanqua's have mature heights that range from about 4-15 ft (1.2-4.6 m). The taller cultivars are typically trimmed up as small trees. 'Fuji-no-mine' means Peak of Mount Fuji in Japanese and indeed its crown is a flattened cone shape that is reminiscent of that famous volcanic mountain. Other cultivars remain shrubby and limited in height. The second picture is of an ancient 'Pink Dauphin' sasanqua that just barely reaches 6 ft (1.8 m). Other cultivers such as 'Bonanza' were developed to serve as groundcovers and with minimal training can be maintained at about 2 ft (0.6 m) in height.

'Fuji-no-mine' at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida

Location
Sasanqua camellias are native to China and Japan where they have contributed their beauty to gardens for centuries.

Culture
Sasanquas can cope with many different soil types. They prefer rich organic acid soils (the same as azaleas and rhododendrons). Provide plants with an organic mulch such as leaf litter or shredded bark. These plants have beautiful natural shapes but if you need to do some pruning it is best done "lightly" and in very early spring before the buds form.
Light: Broken shade is preferred but sasanquas are tolerant of full sun (especially if well watered).
Moisture: Sasanquas need adequate water to look their best but they are suprisingly tolerant of drought once established.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7 - 9. Many new varieties are becoming available with greater cold-hardiness. Sasanquas are now popular in places like Washington D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Propagation:Cuttings dusted with rooting hormone powder.

'Yuletide' hybrid sasanqua blooms around Christmas. Click to download a large version.

Features
Neat form, beautiful evergreen foilage and tons of flowers make sasanquas a hit wherever they are planted. Small specimens are inexpensive and readily available. They are virtually pest free and can survive periods of neglect. Best of all, the blossoms come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Jack Scheper 11/25/98; updated 11/30/03, 9/17/09

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