Camellia japonica Sunny Side

The 'Sunny Side' Camellia is a floriferous and charming variety of Japanese camellia from California. It blooms for a long time and abundantly, producing a multitude of small, delicately coloured pale pink flowers edged with a deeper pink, and beautifully enhanced by a small central column of golden stamens. They open against a backdrop of narrow evergreen leaves, of a beautiful glossy dark green colour, which gives this bush with its rather upright habit a very elegant appearance. The modest growth of this camellia allows it to be grown in a large pot on the terrace or balcony for many years, bringing a lot of joy to the surroundings of the house.

'Sunny Side' Camellia, obtained in the 1990s in the USA, belongs to the family of Theaceae, like its ancestor the Camellia japonica. It is a bushy shrub with a rather erect habit and deep root system, which will reach approximately 1.20 m (4 ft) in height and 1 m (3 ft) in width after 10 years. From February to April it offers, without interruption, numerous single flowers measuring 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 in) in diameter, with rounded and smooth petals, very pale pink in the centre, gradually darkening towards the edges. They are regularly arranged around a heart adorned with a narrow crown of yellow stamens. Its evergreen foliage consists of large, narrow and elliptical leaves, measuring 10 to 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, with a dark green and glossy appearance on the upper side. While this shrub is hardy down to -15°C in open ground, its flowering may be compromised by snow, freezing wind, and temperatures below -5°C (23 °F).

The 'Sunny Side' Japanese Camellia prefers mild and humid climates and thrives in coastal regions, in acidic, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. It will tolerate full sun in favourable climates, but will give its best in partial shade, protected from burning sun and sheltered from strong winds. It can be planted e.g. in a shrub bed alongside other acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cornus Kousa, or Kalmia Latifolia. But it would be a shame to drown this variety in a jumble 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 during the winter in cold climates.