James Burghardt
Family
Theaceae
Botanical Name
CAMELLIA japonica 'Cleve James Variegated'
Plant Common Name
Camellia, Cleve James Variegated Camellia, Japanese Camellia
General Description
Deep rose-red petals with random white blotches occur on the flowers of 'Cleve James Variegated' in late winter and early spring. This Japanese camellia originated as a branch mutation on 'Cleve James', which was first selected by Dr. W.F. Homeyer, Jr. of Macon, Georgia. Each large, semi-double to double blossom resembles a peony or rose bloom. Once flowers are fully open they show a flush of yellow and white stamens at their centers. In cold weather, the flower pigments develop a violet-purple hue. This broadleaf evergreen shrub develops a dense, upright oval habit and grows more quickly than most other camellia selections.
Treasured in eastern Asia for centuries, camellias were brought to the western world by Jesuit missionary and botanist Georg Joseph Kamel, for whom they are named. Their attractive smooth gray branches hold oval, glossy, toothed, dark green leaves. From late winter to early spring, this cultivar bears large, waxy flowers which are excellent for cutting.
Common camellia grows best in partial sun to partial shade but will tolerate full sun once established, though sunscald may be a problem. The soil must be evenly moist, acid and well-drained. This plant is notoriously slow-growing, slow to establish and shallow rooted. A thick layer of organic mulch will protect the roots and facilitate better growth. Regular irrigation and applications of fertilizer promote good growth and flowering, though plants will tolerate periods of drought.
The evergreen leaves and tender flower buds may suffer from sunscald and wind desiccation in winter, so avoid planting camellia in windy, exposed areas. If needed, prune branch tips immediately after flowering, just before new growth starts in the spring. Selective, infrequent light pruning and shaping is recommended but shearing is not. This camellia does not recover well from harsh pruning practices. In the landscape, it may be used in hedges, shady foundation beds, mixed borders or as a woodland specimen plant.
