Candice Key and Chris Ross presented a program on Camellias which was the second program in a series of three featuring underused material for bonsai. The format of the meeting was a bit different in that the presenters did not represent themselves as experts but rather served as discussion leaders. They stated at the outset that Camellias are a joy to have in your bonsai collection and should be seen in every show. Camellias present several challenges in becoming classical bonsai but the sight of a Camellia in full bloom more than makes up for the challenges.

Camellias are not often seen in shows in the United States nor are they often seen in shows in Japan for that matter. It is interesting to note, however, that one of the winners two years ago at one of the most important show in Japan, the Kokufu-ten, was a magnificent Camellia.

There are many hybrids of Camellias on the market representing a very wide variety of choices of flower sizes, flower types, leaf sizes and growth habit. The best choices for bonsai material are the hybrids with both small leaf size and small flower size as well as restrained growth habit. Many of the sasanqua hybrids fall in this category. Flower shapes range from tubular to single to double with many shapes in between. Flower colors range from white to dark red with many intermediate colors. Camelias bloom from late fall to early spring. Each cultivar has a specific time for blooming but this time can vary a bit depending on the climatic conditions for each particular year.

The biggest challenge for growing Camellias as bonsai is that those features that are most desirable for bonsai, small flowers and restrained growth habits, also include very slow growth. Development of a Camellia for bonsai is at best a five year plan. Photographing your plants periodically allows you to see progress in the trees journey to becoming a fine bonsai. Camellias do not quickly form thick trunks which are usually an important indicator of age in a bonsai tree. Camellias are best suited as informal upright style.

Mature wood is very difficult if not impossible to bend so any curves in branches or trunks which are an important aspect of the informal upright style must be done when the branches are very young. Cutting major branches is a problem since cut wounds do not readily heal over. The bark is very tender and can wire scar very easily so wire must be constantly checked to prevent scarring. Spring is the best time to wire because later in the year the young branches harden off and become much harder to bend. The combined difficulty of bending mature branches, failure of large cuts to heal over and the ready scarring by wire indicate that training of Camellia bonsai is best started with very young plants.

Camellias grow best with some protection from hot sun. They need to be well watered and enjoy a small amount of peat moss in the potting soil which both helps to maintain a moist condition and to slightly acidify the soil. Fertilization requirements are modest and may be accommodated by application of cotton seed meal or fish emulsion every three months. Heavier feeding can result in rank growth and minimal or complete failure of flowering. Limited experience suggests that defoliation to improve ramification may lead to the defoliated branch dying. The presenters speculated that planting their Camellia bonsai trees in the ground for a period will allow the trunks to fatten up faster than in a bonsai pot and further would improve back budding to give denser trees. EBBS would like to hear from them in the future to see how well this has worked out.

The yearly care cycle is centered on the blooming period. The best time for both heavy pruning and repotting is right after the blooms fade. Later in the spring the tree may be wired. In the summer the branches harden off. During the year wiring should be frequently inspected to ensure that the wire is not scarring the tree branches. Fall should see the emergence of flower buds. Minor pruning of the foliage can be done at this time to improve the presentation of the flowers. If the bloom is heavy some of the buds should be removed for better health of the plant as well as better display of the remaining flowers.

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