General Description | Is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can reach 5m tall. Its flowering period is from November
to March, and the flowers are fleshy and stunning golden yellow. Is an important parent material
for Camellia breeding. |
ID Characteristic | Its flowers are solitary, about 6cm in diameter, with 5 bracts, 5 sepals, and 8-10 petals. The
flowers are fleshy and golden-yellow, a color not common in Camellias. Another
attractive feature of it is the pinky red new foliage. |
Shape | Shrubs or small trees up to 5m tall. |
Landscape | Because Camellias grow quickly, typically reaching 6-10 feet in 5-10 years, they can be used as
hedges. It can also be used as single specimens near porches and windows or in woodland
settings. |
Propagation | The main methods of propagation are sowing, cuttings and grafting.
Sowing. The fruit generally matures in early and mid-October, and cracks in late October. There is
no post-ripening dormancy period after the seeds mature. Seed propagation is suitable for
autumn sowing. In early and mid-October, the harvested fruits are placed in an indoor ventilated
place to dry in the shade, and the seeds are sown immediately after the capsules are cracked and
the seeds are taken out. If autumn sowing is not possible, the seeds need to be stored in wet
sand for spring sowing in February of the following year.
Cutting. The optimum period for cutting propagation is from April to early May, and it can also be
carried out in the middle and late September. When cutting, choose a place with good ventilation
and use vermiculite as the substrate. In view of the characteristics of it liking shade in the
seedling stage, after the cutting is completed, the planters can increase the light to the seedlings
in an orderly manner by covering the shading net or film to ensure the nutritional balance of the
branches.
Grafting. When grafting, planters should choose Camellia species that are easy to survive by
cuttings as rootstocks, so as to reduce the influence of Golden Camellias by grafting and reduce
the probability of death. |
Cultivation | Prefers warm, humid climates and grows well on acidic soils. It thrives when the soil drains well.
It is a shade plant that grows in the shade of a large tree that provides protection for new leaves
in summer. Therefore, it should be given sufficient sunlight in the rainy season, shaded and
cooled in summer, and when the temperature in winter has dropped to the point where it is
difficult to grow, it needs to be provided with cold-proof equipment. |
Pests | Diseases include gray leaf spot, anthracnose and root rot, among which gray leaf spot and
anthracnose mainly damage leaves, while root rot mainly damages the root system. Special
fungicides should be used for treatment, such as bacteriostat, Bordeaux mixture, etc. At the same
time, the diseased leaves should be removed in time for centralized destruction. The main pests
of golden camellia are leaf roller moth, aphids, longhorn beetle, etc., which will harm the leaves
and buds of golden camellia. It can be treated by spraying a certain dose of dimethoate, or by
eliminating eggs and killing larvae to directly reduce pest damage. |
Notable Specimens | Camellia petelotii (Merr.) Sealy can be found in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. The location in
the garden is Camellia Garden near Rathborne Lodge. |
Habitat | Forests in river valleys or along streams; at elevations from 100 - 900 meters. |
Bark/Stem Description | Young branches are grayish brown. Current year branchlets are purplish brown, 2 - 3 mm thick,
glabrous. |
Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Camellia petelotii has smaller buds compared to other species of Camellia. With the arrival of
flowering, the buds gradually turn from green to gold. |
Leaf Description | The leaves are oblong and leathery. The leaves are light green on the back and shiny dark green
on the front, glabrous on both sides. The leaf base is broadly cuneate to subrounded, margin
serrulate. |
Flower Description | Flowers are solitary at the end of young branches, about 6 cm in diameter. The flowering period
is from November to March. Flowers are fleshy and golden yellow. Its pollinators are insects. |
Fruit Description | The capsule is oblate, 3.5cm long and 4.5cm wide. The pericarp is 3 - 5mm thick when dry, woody.
The seeds are brown, hairy, hemispherical, about 1.5-2 cm in diameter ( |
Colour Description | The back of the leaves is light green and the front is dark green and shiny. The flowers are
stunning gold. The young branches are grayish brown and the current year branchlets are
purplish brown. |
Texture Description | Fine. |