PlantFiles: Camellia, Tea-Oil Plant
Camellia oleifera

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Family: Theaceae (tee-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Camellia (kuh-MEE-lee-a) (Info)
Species: oleifera (oh-lee-IF-er-uh) (Info)

Synonym:Camellia drupifera
Synonym:Thea oleifera

» View all varieties of Camellias

6 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Shrubs

Height:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)

Spacing:
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Unknown - Tell us

Bloom Color:
White/Near White

Bloom Time:
Late Fall/Early Winter
Mid Winter

Foliage:
Evergreen
Smooth-Textured
Leathery-Textured

Other details:
Flowers are fragrant
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Provides winter interest
Suitable for growing in containers

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)

Patent Information:
Non-patented

Propagation Methods:
From woody stem cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
Scarify seed before sowing
By grafting
By budding
By air layering

Seed Collecting:
Unknown - Tell us

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to view:
By sube1984

By sube1984

Profile:

1 positive
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

Rating	Author	Comment
Neutral	fel	On Oct 24, 2009, fel from Wynnewood, PA wrote: I received a tiny seedling as a free dividend at an arboretum. At two years old, my plant is about 1.5 feet high. It has not yet bloomed, but it is healthy and does not seem bothered by winters. I have it growing in partial shade, in an area with minimal direct sunlight. It likes acid soil and bark mulch. I'll report back when it blooms.
Positive	Monocromatico	On Mar 31, 2004, Monocromatico from Rio de Janeiro Brazil (Zone 11) wrote: C. oleifera is a popular species in China and Japan, but still not very known in the Occident. Here we have hybrids of C. oleifera and C. sasanqua (hardy hybrids, btw) at most. In China, the seeds of this species are used to obtain an oil, and the leaves are often used as an alternative to the traditional tea. The white, average sized, 5-petals flowers are atractive. Edited to add that the seed oil has a very bad taste, and had better be used as a combustible oil