Camellia x “Festival Of Lights” – Spring-Flowering Camellia
Miniature, single, pastel pink blooms adorn the glossy green foliage in spring .
Habit:
This is a well-behaved, upright, evergreen, shrub growing to 3M tall. It was bred in New Zealand and seems to thrive in Karin’s Garden, where it is popular in smaller gardens. The flowers do not suffer from the Camellia petal wilt (Ciborinia camelliae) that turns C. japonica flowers to a brown mush in New Zealand.
Origins:
Festival Of Lights is a hybrid of C. pitardii. I can find no mention of the other parent, so maybe this is a “wild” hybrid, where the pollen source is unknown or uncertain. C. pitardii is widespread in southern China; where it is found in forests and thickets, on slopes and by rivers, at elevations from 500 – 2,800 metres.
Soil / Aspect:
C. “Festival Of Lights” prefers part-sun to full sun, being best if the soil is not baked by full midday sun. The soil needs to be acidic. Though not as hardy as C. japonica this one is perfectly fine in Karin’s Garden
Maintenance:
C. “Festival Of Lights” should be pruned after flowering, to control size and shape. The plant pictured here is just a few years old and has not been pruned at all yet. The new growth will often attract aphids, and this may be readily controlled with a Conqueror Oil spray.