Known to some as the ‘Christmas Camelia’ because, as the name suggests, Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ blooms from November to February – adding its scarlet colours to the season both in your garden and as cut stems for a vase inside your home. Flowers will flamboyantly cover the glossy, dark green foliage for up to 4 months and are further enhanced by a crown of golden stamen to the centre. Native to China and Japan, sasanqua type camelias were introduced to Europe in the early 1800s, becoming ever popular over the generations. Flowers are smaller, yet equally prolific as their cousins, camelia japonica, and form generous trees or shrubs – dependent upon variety and pruning, though their natural shape is pyramidal. ‘Yuletide’ will mature to a height of 3 metres, with a spread of 2.5 metres. Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ prefers to be planted in moist, well-drained soil of any kind except chalk based. Plants like a neutral to mildly acidic pH and a spot in full sun or partial shade. A hardy (H5), evergreen shrub which should not need additional winter protection throughout most of the UK, although flowers may be damaged by frost in exposed sites.
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