Camellia reticulata Fiesta Grande

Camellia 'Fiesta Grande is an old variety of hybrid camellia that is absolutely splendid: the bush, with an upright and relatively dense habit, produces very beautiful flowers that resemble certain peonies, in a rare lilac-pink color. They are opulent, semi-double, and appear over a long period in winter and early spring. They bloom on a moderately vigorous plant, dressed in elegant foliage, with a shiny dark green colour. Slightly more frost-sensitive than the Japanese camellia, and capable of adapting to sunny sites. However, this beautiful bush requires moist soil in summer that is limestone-free. Plant in a pot on a terrace, alone in the garden, or in a small flowering hedge.

The Camellia 'Fiesta Grande', developed in California by Meyer Piet and Lee Gaeta before 1884, belongs to the family of Theaceae. It is the result of the cross-breeding between Camellia reticulata, a large and slightly frost-sensitive species native to the Chinese province of Yunnan, and Camellia sasanqua, an autumn camellia from southern Japan. It is a bushy and rather upright shrub that will reach about 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height and 80 cm (31.5 in) in width after 10 years. At maturity, after 15 to 20 years, it will measure an average of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height and 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) in width. From February to April it produces light purple flower buds. They open into flowers with a diameter of 10-11 cm (4 in) that resemble both anemones and peonies. Each flower is composed of numerous fine-textured petals, smaller towards the centre, pink in colour with lavender reflections. A few bashful yellow stamens appear when fully bloomed. The evergreen foliage resembles that of Camellia sasanqua. It consists of large elliptical leaves, 7 to 9 cm (2.8 to 3.5 in) long and 4-5 cm (1.6-2 in) wide, leathery, finely toothed at the edges, dark green and shiny on the upper side. While this shrub is hardy down to -12°C in open ground, its flower buds can be destroyed by snow, icy winds, and temperatures below -5°C (23 °F).

Camellia 'Fiesta Grande' 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 or even shade, protected from intense sunlight and sheltered from strong winds. Wherever winter is not too harsh, it can be planted in isolation in the garden, or combined with other ericaceous plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Cornus Kousa, Hydrangeas, Hamamelis, or even Kalmia Latifolia. It deserves a prominent position, at the entrance of the garden or along a path. You can plant autumn bulbs such as colchicums or cyclamens around its base. In cold regions it can be grown on a balcony or terrace, and brought in to a veranda or cool greenhouse during the flowering period. It can be protected from the cold in a lightly heated apartment, provided its foliage is regularly misted and it is watered with non-calcereous water.