Camellia japonica Donckelarii

Camellia 'Donckelarii' is an ancient variety of Japanese camellia that is hardy, very floriferous, and unusual: it offers a beautiful crop of large semi-double flowers that are all different, more or less marbled with white on a carmine red background. With a medium stature and a lovely rounded habit this bush, adorned with beautiful glossy foliage, is ornamental all year round, even outside its winter to spring flowering period. It will live for many years, bringing a lot of joy to the surroundings of the house in winter. It earns its rightful place in a Japanese-style garden.

Camellia 'Donckelarii' (Syn: Masayoshi), arrived in Belgium via Japan around 1830 and is still appreciated for its many qualities, especially its resistance to cold. It belongs to the family of Theaceae, like its ancestor Camellia japonica, and has given birth to many newer quality cultivars. It is a bushy, dense and rounded shrub which will reach about 1.30 m (4 ft 4 in) in height and 1.20 m (4 ft) in width at 10 years old. From February to April it produces large, 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, semi-double, bicoloured flowers. The petals are randomly marbled with white on a red background and surround a cluster of yellow stamens at the centre. Its evergreen foliage is composed of large elliptical leaves, 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5 in) long, leathery, finely toothed at the edges, fairly light green and glossy on the top. While this shrub is hardy down to -20°C in open ground, flowering may be compromised by snow, icy wind, and temperatures below -8°C (17.6 °F).

The 'Donckelarii' Japanese Camellia thrives in mild and humid climates and flourishes in coastal regions, in acid, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. It will tolerate non-scorching sun in a favourable climate but it is in partial shade or even shade, protected from intense sun and sheltered from strong winds, that it will give its best. Plant e.g. in the foreground of a shrub bed, accompanied by other acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cornus Kousa, or even Kalmia Latifolia. However it would be a shame to drown this 'Donckelarii' variety, full of whimsy, in a tangle of foliage or flowers. It deserves a special place, near the entrance of the house or in a beautiful pot on the terrace, to be stored away in winter in cold climates.