Camellia crapnellianaRed Bark Camellia

Most camellias are grown for the flower. Camellia crapnelliana is grown for the bark as well: a smooth, peeling, coppery-red trunk that reads from a distance and holds interest through every season. It builds into a small evergreen tree of 5 to 7 metres with thick leathery leaves and large white flowers carried through autumn and winter.

It is a rare species in the wild, restricted to a handful of provinces in southern China and to northern Vietnam, and it needs the acidic, humus-rich, sheltered conditions of its native forest to perform.

Specifications

• Height5 to 7 metres
• Width3 to 5 metres
• Native toSouthern China and northern Vietnam
• FoliageThick, leathery, glossy dark green elliptic leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilRequires acidic, humus-rich, free-draining soils; will not tolerate alkaline or saline ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade, with shelter from hot wind
• WaterModerate; needs consistent moisture and resents drying out
• ClimateThrives in humid subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersLarge single white flowers with a boss of yellow stamens, from autumn into winter
• FruitLarge woody capsules, unusually big for the genus, persisting after flowering
• UsesFeature and specimen planting, courtyard trees, and sheltered park groupings
• SpacingPlant 4 to 5 metres apart, or set as an individual specimen
• Low MaintenanceLight shaping only; avoid hard pruning and keep the root zone mulched
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound where drainage and airflow are good
• Seasonal AppealWinter flowers and year-round coppery bark give it two distinct seasons of interest

The Red Bark Camellia is a collector-grade specimen tree for sheltered, acidic, humid sites.