| General Description | 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 colour not common in Camellias. Another attractive feature is the pinkish 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. 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. The optimum period for cutting propagation is from April to early May, and it can also be carried out in mid to late September. When cutting, choose a place with good ventilation and use vermiculite as the substrate. It's important to note that it likes 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. When grafting, planters should choose Camellia species that are likely to survive by doing 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. 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 grey leaf spot, anthracnose and root rot. Grey 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, and longhorn beetle, 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 greyish brown. Current year branchlets are purplish brown, 2-3 mm thick, and 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 greyish brown and the current year branchlets are purplish brown. |
| Texture Description | Fine. |