Camellia japonica Roger Hall

Camellia japonica 'Roger Hall' is an attractive variety  whose double anemone flowers display perfectly overlapping petals in a flamboyant red colour from February to March! It is an evergreen shrub with an upright, bushy, moderately compact habit that gives it a naturally rounded and neat silhouette. Its elegant, tough, rigid, dark green foliage is impeccable in all circumstances and seasons. It is a vigorous and easy-to-grow shrub requiring a shady site and a cool, light, well-drained, deep and, particularly, non-chalky soil. Plant it with other varieties of camellia to form an opulent border under deciduous trees. In regions with harsh winters, planting in pots or in a sheltered location is recommended to protect its flower buds from spring frost.

Camellia 'Roger Hall', an Australian horticultural creation from 1976, belongs to the family of Theaceae, like its ancestor Camellia japonica. It is a fairly branching shrub with an upright habit, which reaches about 2 m (6.5 ft) in height and 1 m (3 ft) in width. From February to April it produces flower buds that open into large flowers, 7 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) in diameter, perfectly formed, composed of 40 firm, wide and rounded petals, overlapped in a rosette, arranged in 9 to 10 rows. The petals located in the centre of the corolla gradually reduce in size. The foliage, which persists all year round, is composed of large elliptical leaves, 8-9 cm (3.5 in) in length and 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in width, tough, finely dentate on the edges, dark green and slightly glossy on the upper side. While this shrub is hardy down to -15°C in open ground, its flower buds can be destroyed by snow, icy wind and temperatures below -5°C (23 °F).

The 'Roger Hall' Camellia japonica prefers mild and humid climates and thrives in coastal regions, in acidic, humus-rich and well-drained soil. It will tolerate non-scorching sun in favourable climates but it is in partial shade or even shade, protected from intense sunlight and sheltered from strong winds, that it will give its best. Plant it e.g. in a shrub border, along with other acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cornus Kousa or Kalmia Latifolia. Use it to create scenes of lasting beauty in woodland areas under deciduous trees, with ferns and carpets of spring bulbs such as daffodils. The large vibrant flowers and the elegantly glossy foliage of 'Roger Hall' merit being planted near the entrance of the house, or in a beautiful pot on the terrace, to be stored away during very cold climates. It also easily settles in a sheltered corner of the garden, trained against a trellis.