I am interested in buying a Japonica Camellia, family of Theaceae. Please advise where I can get them in Toronto. Many thanks,
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners with your inquiry.
We have a number of requests for this plant from other homeowners. the following is from one of our earlier posts:
For decades horticulturists in the North have tried growing southern camellias -often unsuccessfully. The discovery of C.oleifera along with an extensive breeding program that was established at the U.S. National Arboretum in the late 1970’s incorporated the cold hardiness of C.oleifera with the elegant flowers of the most widely standard varieties resulting in a range of both Spring and Fall flowering varieites.
There are some basic principles for growing camellias in cold climates:
- Plant camellias in the Spring rather than in the Fall. Spring planting gives the plants a full growing season before the onset of winter.
- Avoid early morning winter sun which can cause leaf burn
- Mulch with pine needles or pine bark to a depth of 3-4″
- Camellias prefer slightly acidic well drained soil similar to azaleas or rhododendrons.
- Do not plant camellias too deep. The top of the media in the container should be level, or slightly above the surrounding ground.
Japanese Camellias are not always cold hardy. The book Beyond the Camellia Belt by Dr. William Ackerman gives advice on succeding with camellias in colder climates.
The mission statement of the Toronto Master Gardeners is to provide the public with horticultural information, education and inspiration, through the use of safe, effective, proven and sustainable horticultural practices to create gardens, landscapes and communities that are both vibrant and healthy. We make it a practice to recommend neither individuals nor services. We suggest that you contact Landscape Ontario for nurseries and landscapers. Here is a link to their website: landscapeontario.com
Good Luck in your search.