Camellia Yuletide

Camellia 'Yutelide' is an autumn camellia variety that bears deep, intense vermillion red flowers, a rare colour for this type of camellia. They are not very large, with a simple shape, but truly shine against a dark and glossy foliage, bringing a lot of joy to the garden or terrace during the short days of autumn and winter. This bush also charms with its naturally dense, compact, and pyramidal habit, giving it a very modern appearance. It should be planted in a partially shaded position, in a limestone-free soil that remains moist during summer.

The 'Yutelide' camellia, introduced in the U.S.A in 1959, is a hybrid of the species Camellia sasanqua and C. vernalis, belonging to the family of Theaceae. 'Yutelide' forms a densely growing shrub with an erect and bushy habit, growing quite slowly, reaching approximately 1.5 m (5 ft) in height and 1 m (3 ft) in width after 15 years. Flowering begins in November and ends in January-February. The flowers, measuring 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter, are composed of 5 to 7 spatula-shaped petals of a bright red colour slightly tending towards orange. These petals are regularly arranged in a flat cup around a heart filled with numerous golden stamens. While they are not long-lasting, these brilliant-textured flowers continuously renew themselves on the plant, forming a carpet of petals on the ground just as Japanese cherry trees do. The foliage is dense and evergreen all year round. The small leaves are elliptical-ovate, 4.5 cm (2 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) wide, very dark green, shiny, leathery, and paler on the underside.

Camellia x sasanqua 'Yutelide' performs better in mild and humid climates than in cold regions, where its hardiness is sometimes lacking and its flowering compromised. Wherever the winter is not too harsh it can be planted alone in the garden or combined with other acid-loving plants (Rhododendron, azaleas, Hydrangea, Pieris) to form a small flowering hedge. Japanese maples also bring lightness to camellias. The 'Yutelide' camellia, with its naturally compact shape and exceptional flowering, deserves a prominent location on the terrace, near the entrance of the house, or alongside a pathway. You can surround its base with autumn bulbs such as colchicums or cyclamen. In colder regions, it is best to place it on a balcony or terrace to be brought into a veranda or cold greenhouse for protection during the flowering period. If necessary it can be protected from the cold inside the house, provided its foliage is regularly misted and it is watered with non-calcereous water.