Monrovia : Learn

Spectacular, hot pink, peony to semi-double blooms. Flowers make a dazzling contrast with the glossy, dark green. A prized plant of the milder regions of the U.S.  Mid season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide, larger with age.  Filtered sun. Cutting grown.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Filtered sun

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

Pruning Time: Winter after flowering

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Growth Habit: Erect

Design Information

Companion Plants

GEORGE L. TABER AZALEA
Azalea `George L. Taber` (Southern Indica)

DREAMLAND RHODODENDRON
Rhododendron x 'Dreamland' (Yakushima hybrid) (H-3)

AFRICAN IRIS
Dietes iridioides (Moraea iridioides)

PLUM PASSION^® HEAVENLY BAMBOO
Nandina domestica 'Monum' P.P.# 12069

ATHENE MAGNOLIA
Magnolia x 'Athene'

EMPEROR I^® JAPANESE MAPLE
Acer palmatum 'Wolff'

CHINESE DOGWOOD
Cornus kousa chinensis

SERENADE JAPANESE ANEMONE
Anemone x hybrida 'Serenade'

MIDNIGHT ROSE CORAL BELLS
Heuchera x 'Midnight Rose' P.P.A.F.

JAPANESE PAINTED FERN
Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'

NELLY MOSER CLEMATIS
Clematis x `Nelly Moser`

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Companion Plants (Description): Plant close to your outdoor living area with Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Iris. In a more natural woodland setting, combine with the airy foliage of Astilbe, Heavenly Bamboo and Bleeding Heart. Early blooming deciduous trees like Magnolia, Japanese Maple and Dogwood offer the needed filtered shade and ground hugging perennials such as Anemone, Coral Bells, Fern and Clematis offer interest and color throughout all layers of the garden.

Design Styles: Use in a protected place in the garden, such as an east facing entryway, and be rewarded with handsome evergreen foliage and elegant winter blooms.  Both the blooms and foliage are fine additions to indoor winter cut flower arrangements.  Dress up a wall or garage as a shrub or train as an espalier for a formal look.  Beautiful as a foundation plant, in a container or as part of a Zen tranquility garden.

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.  Pink Parade was a chance seedling from a Mrs. Freedman Weiss Camellia found by E.D. Hudson of Hemet, CA in 1969.  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, hot pink, peony to semi-double blooms. Flowers make a dazzling contrast with the glossy, dark green. A prized plant of the milder regions of the U.S.  Mid season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide, larger with age.  Filtered sun. Cutting grown.