Camellia lutchuensis Fairy Blush

Fairy Blush Camellia is a shrub whose enchanting flowering lives up to its name. From the end of winter until spring its branches are adorned with small apricot-pink to white flowers that form delicately scented fairy-like garlands. The corollas are so numerous that they almost eclipse the tiny green and glossy leaves. With a lovely upright and bushy habit and moderate growth, this variety is perfectly suited for ornamenting small gardens or growing in containers on a terrace. This hardy camellia thrives in cool and humid climates, and enjoys non-chalky and well-drained soil.

Fairy Blush Camellia is a New Zealand horticultural variety resulting from cross-breeding with the Lutchuensis Camellia, a botanical species with particularly fragrant evergreen foliage, native to southern Japan. Like all camellias, it belongs to the Theaceae family. 'Fairy Blush' has a generally upright habit, taller than it is wide, with dense vegetation on flexible, erect branches. Its growth is slow: by the age of 10, it will reach about 1m (3 ft) in height and 80cm (32 in) in width. An adult plant will typically reach 1.20m (4 ft) in height and 90cm (35 in) in width, depending on the growing conditions. It blooms from February in mild climates, with peak flowering occurring in March-April. The plant produces a large quantity of small single flowers, about 3-4cm (1.2-1.6 in) in diameter. The bright pink flower buds open into corollas with a slightly salmon-pink colour that fades to white around a cluster of golden stamens. Its evergreen leaves are bright green, measuring 2 to 3cm (0.8 to 1.2 in) in length and slightly glossy on the upper side. Hardy down to -12°C, this variety is cultivated in partial shade or full sun, sheltered from cold winds. It prefers acidic, humus-rich, moist and light soils.

Plant 'Fairy Blush' Camellia in a low rural-style hedge, or in a bed alongside azaleas, Skimmia, Japanese Quince, and heathers. Plant it in autumn with some spring bulbs e.g. tulips and narcissus for a magnificent and colourful scene. Its compact size also allows it to be grown in a pot for many years. Place it on a partially shaded terrace, along a wall, protected from cold and drying winds. This camellia can also be trained against a trellis or a wall facing northeast or east.

The name Camellia was given to the plant in 1735 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Von Linné, in tribute to Georg Josef Kamel (Latinized as "Camellus"), an apothecary in the service of the Jesuits in the Philippines at the end of the 17th century. It was not until 1792 that the Camellia arrived in Europe.