Monrovia : Learn

Lovely soft pink, semi-double blooms with ruffled petals and bright golden stamens.  Upright, slightly weeping branches display glossy, dark green foliage making the flowers pop.  Excellent choice for a colorful low hedge, espalier, or ground cover.  Early to mid season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 4 to 5 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide.  Partial sun.  Cutting grown.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Partial sun

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

Pruning Time: Fall after flowering

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Growth Habit: Spreading

Design Information

Companion Plants

MOUNTAIN FIRE LILY OF THE VALLEY
Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire'

GLOWING EMBERS HYDRANGEA
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Glowing Embers'

YAKU PRINCESS RHODODENDRON
Rhododendron x 'Yaku Princess' (H-2)

NATHAN HALE MOUNTAIN LAUREL
Kalmia latifolia 'Nathan Hale'

EMPEROR I^® JAPANESE MAPLE
Acer palmatum 'Wolff'

FESTIVA MAXIMA DOUBLE PEONY
Paeonia x 'Festiva Maxima'

BRILLIANT AZALEA
Azalea `Brilliant` (Southern Indica)

WINTER GEM BOXWOOD
Buxus microphylla japonica 'Winter Gem'

AUGUST BEAUTY GARDENIA (GRAFTED)
Gardenia jasminoides 'August Beauty' (Grafted G. thunbergii)

SAN JOSE JUNIPER
Juniperus chinensis `San Jose`

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Companion Plants (Description): The spreading habit makes this a great groundcover paired with blooming shrubs like Lily of the Valley, Hydrangea, Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. For an Asian theme, include Japanese Maple, Peony, Azalea, and Asiatic Lily. If trained into a topiary form, include other formal garden standouts like Boxwood, Gardenia and Spiral topiaries.

Design Styles: Excellent choice for a colorful low hedge, espalier, or ground cover due to its short, pendulous habit.  A great addition to an Asian inspired garden or in mass at the front fringe of a woodland setting.  Perfect for hanging baskets or pots.

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: Sometimes referred to as Christmas Camellias, the sasanqua varieties of Camellia are native to the evergreen, coastal forests of southern Japan.  It was introduced by Dutch traders into Europe in 1869.  Showa-no-Sakae originated in Japan in 1928 and is believed to be a seedling of Shishi Gashhira.  This plant was named in honor of Emperor Hirohito.  The Japanese use the leaves of sasanqua to make tea, and the seeds are pressed into tea seed oil for use as a lubricant and in cooking and cosmetics. 

Botanical Pronunciation: ka-MEL-i-a sa-SANG-kwa

Catalog Description: Lovely soft pink, semi-double blooms with ruffled petals and bright golden stamens.  Upright, slightly weeping branches display glossy, dark green foliage making the flowers pop.  Excellent choice for a colorful low hedge, espalier, or ground cover.  Early to mid season bloomer.  Evergreen.  Moderate growing 4 to 5 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide.  Partial sun.  Cutting grown.