How Fast Do Camellias Grow?


A typically slow growing plant with some quick growing varieties

How Fast Do Camellias Grow

Insung Jeon/Masahiro Makino/gettyimages

 
Camellias can give your garden a gorgeous magical look. The cheerful Camellias are long-lived evergreen shrub plants. Among these, the Japanese Camellias, also known as Camellia Japonica, is everyone’s favorite. These brilliant flowers are even selected as Alabama’s state flower. These shrubs are easily noticeable because of their lovely, lustrous, and compact foliage.
 
So, if you find camellias a perfect fit for your garden area, you must know how fast do camellias grow to watch out for them at every stage while growing. To be honest, these are slow-growing shrubs with an average increase of a foot every year.
 
You can witness their elegance in late winter through the entire spring season as it blooms a cluster of attractive flowers. Their flowers grow in shades of white, red, and pink.
 

How Fast Does Camellia Grow?

How Fast Does Camellia Grow
 
If you meet Camellias care requirements, camellias can easily grow from fall through the spring season. Although these attractive plants are slow-growing with a 12-inches or lesser annual growth rate, there are some of its varieties that grow pretty fast. One such fast-growing variety is Camellia Transokoensis which grows around 2-feet annually.
 
The common Camellia trees go upward to a height of 6-14 feet, whereas they will spread to a width of up to 10 feet. The plant needs a perfectly suitable environment to grow healthy.
 
You must keep it under the full sun to partial shade and in a well-moist soil. The soil can be sandy, loamy, and clayey in texture, with a bit of tolerance towards salt.
 
Though they can grow indoors, we suggest you always plant camellias outdoors in acidic soil. With exquisite flowers and evergreen, dark leaves, camellias are certainly a popular choice for plant lovers for a natural privacy screen.
 

So, How Long Do Camellias Take To Grow and Mature?

 
Growing these wonderful camellia plants is a lengthy process because of their slow growth rate. Considering how fast do camellia trees grow, most Camellias take up to 5 years to bloom. The plant is considered to have reached maturity once it blooms. So, whenever you see camellias bloom, know that the tree has matured.
 
You may propagate camellias through stem cuttings, grafting, or seeds. If you choose seeds to grow camellias, you will need to be more patient and careful.
 

About The Fastest Growing Camellia

Fastest Growing Camellia

Jeremy Villasis/gettyimages

 
Since camellia species are generally slow-growing, it could be stopping you from planting this tree. But don’t worry, you can opt for its fast-growing varieties, which include Camellia Transokoensis. This is a fascinating shrub that features slightly scented white flowers.
 
This Camellia bush growth rate is pretty quick and increases rapidly with more than 18″ to 25″ per year. It is a homely plant that can produce many small flowers. These majestic flowers give out a slightly sweet fragrance. Many people often confuse them with Japanese quince tree flowers because of their striking resemblance. However, the tree features beautiful red shoots in spring that can easily catch anyone’s attention.
 
This charming shrub looks pleasing even during winter. It retains dark green and snowy foliage throughout the year.
 

FAQs

Q. How to make camellias grow faster?

Ans. To speed up the growth rate of camellias, you’ll need to give it the proper care and a favorable environment. So first ensure to deeply water your plant throughout the growing period. Also, focus on keeping it under required sunlight and shade, which is the most important thing when it comes to how fast do Camellias grow.
 
Feed the camellias twice a year. It is sufficient for its healthy growth rate. Make sure to follow the instructions given on the package. But remember never to apply excess fertilizers. They won’t enhance your plant’s growth but adversely affect it.
 
Get rid of any dead leaves and flowers from time to time. Don’t forget that pruning your plants improve their growth rate.
 

Q. How fast do camellia sasanqua grow?

Ans. A famous variety of Camellia is known as Camellia sasanqua, which is not a rapid grower. The growth rate of this plant is slow, with not more than a 12-inch increase in height per year. This lovely shrub can be seen climbing 6 to 14 feet with a spread of about 5 to 7 feet.
 

Q. How fast does camellia japonica grow?

Ans. The Camellia bush growth rate is usually slow. With a slow growth rate, this shrub takes more than 100 years to climb to 25 feet tall.
 

Q. How tall does a camellia tree get?

Ans. People admire these shrubs for their compact size and appeal. Mostly, these evergreen plants can reach about 6 to 14 feet tall. However, you can also find some types that can mature to a height of 25 feet. The broad evergreen leaves of this tree can spread for about 6 to 10 feet.
 

Q. What is the lifespan of a camellia?

Ans. When given proper care, these plants can live a long life of about 100 years on average.  The lifespan of this Japanese ornamental shrub is pretty long, and some of their varieties are even known to live for over 200 years.
 
Summing up…
The Japanese Camellias are magnificent slow-growing shrubs often chosen to create a beautiful fence or decorate the garden. How fast do camellias grow per year largely depends on the variety you plant and the growing conditions.
 
Try to plant them in rich soil where they can grow without stress. Early spring and winter are great times to see these shrubs growing beautiful flowers.
 
However, the number of flowers, color, and size may vary depending on the type of Camellia plant variety. You can enjoy the beauty of their pink, white and red color flowers for about 3 to 4 weeks.