Monrovia : Learn

Spectacular, soft, shell pink, formal double blooms in mid to late winter.  Flowers make a dazzling contrast with the glossy, dark green foliage. A prized plant of the milder regions of the U.S.  Mid to late season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide, larger with age.  Filtered sun.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Filtered sun

Watering Needs: Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.

Pruning Time: Spring after flowering

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Growth Habit: Erect

Design Information

Companion Plants

NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS HOSTA
Hosta x 'Night Before Christmas'

FROSTED VIOLET CORAL BELLS
Heuchera 'Frosted Violet' P.P.# 15085

PINK ELF^® FRENCH HYDRANGEA
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Pia'

AKEBONO YOSHINO CHERRY
Prunus x yedoensis 'Akebono'

BLACK TULIP^™ MAGNOLIA
Magnolia x soulangiana 'Jurmag1' P.P.A.F.

AUTUMN MOON AZALEA
Azalea `Shugetsu` (Satsuki hybrid)

ALPHONSE KARR BAMBOO
Bambusa multiplex `Alphonse Karr`

FIRST LOVE^® GARDENIA (GRAFTED)
Gardenia jasminoides 'Aimee' (Grafted onto G. thunbergii)

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Companion Plants (Description): Pair this beautiful, double bloomer with low growing, big leafed varieties of Hosta, Coral Bells, and Hydrangea. Provide filtered sun with smaller canopy trees such as Cherry, Dogwood and Magnolia. For an Asian theme, design with mixed Azaleas, Bamboo and fragrant Gardenia.

Design Styles: Plant in mass in a woodland setting for best effect at a distance.  Works wonderful in an Asian design or up close to your outdoor living area in beds, containers or foundation plantings.  Can be trained as an espalier to soften retaining and privacy walls.

Care Information

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Provide well drained soil, rich in organic matter. Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch.

Background Information

History: Camellias are native to eastern and southern Asia. C. japonica was imported into the Philippines but is native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The genus Camellia was named by Carolus Linnaeus who named it for a Jesuit missionary Georg Kamel, who cultivated an important garden of local medicinal plants on the Philippine Island of Luzon in the 17th century.  Pearl Maxwell is a seedling of Enrico Bettoni Camellia.  The plant originator was C.O. Maxwell of Reno, GA.  Red camellias are a symbol of wealth and white Camellias signify loveliness. Camellias represent longevity and faithfulness and have long been a primary floral component in Asian weddings.

Botanical Pronunciation: ka-MEL-i-a ja-PON-i-ka

Catalog Description: Spectacular, soft, shell pink, formal double blooms in mid to late winter.  Flowers make a dazzling contrast with the glossy, dark green foliage. A prized plant of the milder regions of the U.S.  Mid to late season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide, larger with age.  Filtered sun.