Camellia grijsii

Camellia grijsii is a vigorous bush with an upright habit, characterised by remarkably abundant and highly fragrant winter flowering. It produces a myriad of small white flowers with yellow hearts that stand out against its unique foliage - a glossy, blackish-green colour. This Chinese botanical species is resistant to cold weather and maintains its beautiful foliage throughout the year. Truly charming, it is a robust plant, but requires a moist and lime-free soil in the summer. Creates a delightful effect either as a solitary plant in the garden or as a flowering hedge.

Collected in 1861 in the Chinese province of Fujian by de Grijs and described in 1879 by the botanist Hance, Camellia grijsii is widespread in the central and eastern Chinese provinces of Fujian, Hubei, Yunnan and Sichuan. It is related to the Camellia sasanqua (the Autumn Camellia), as well as the Camellia yuhsienensis, one of the parents of the famous cultivar 'Yume'. Like all camellias (including the tea plant), it belongs to the family Theaceae.

This bush with a dense, compact and upright or columnar habit will reach an average height of 1.20 m (4 ft) and a width of 80 cm (30 in) after 10 years, but can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) in height and occupy 1.50 m (5 ft) in spread at maturity. Its vertical growth is quite rapid during the first years, but slows down afterwards. Flowering occurs in winter, generally starting in December and ending in early March. It is remarkably abundant. The flowers bloom in large numbers, clustered in the axils of the leaves located towards the ends of the branches. Each flower measures about 5 or 6 cm (2.5 in) in diameter, and consists of pure white petals with two lobes arranged somewhat haphazardly around a yellow stamen centre. Their fragrance varies in intensity. The foliage, dense and evergreen, is composed of thick, leathery, dark, strongly veined, ovate and tapering leaves, finely dentate along the edges. They measure about 6 cm (2.4 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) wide.

Camellia grijsii, like all camellias, prefers mild and humid climates to colder regions, where its hardiness can be compromised and its flowering destroyed by severe frost. Wherever winters are not too harsh, it can be planted alone in the garden or combined with other acid-loving plants (Rhododendron, Azaleas, Hydrangea, Hamamelis) in a flowering hedge. Its wild appearance and delicate flowering look wonderful in a natural or cottage garden paired with a Chimonanthus praecox, for example.  You can also plant autumn bulbs around its base, such as colchicums or Cyclamen hederifolium. In colder regions, it can be grown in a container on a balcony or terrace, and brought indoors to a conservatory or cool greenhouse during the flowering period.