Detailed Guide to Grafting Shibaxueshi Camellia onto Fujian Oil Tea Rootstock
Shibaxueshi camellia is a famous flower of China and the county flower of Dehua County, Fujian Province. It is often used as an ornamental flower to beautify the environment in urban landscaping in China. Its flowers are large and double-petaled, with a long blooming period and many bright colors. Normally, a plant propagated and cultivated from scratch takes 4 to 5 years to bloom.
Shibaxueshi camellia is a famous flower of China and the county flower of Dehua County, Fujian Province. It is often used as an ornamental flower to beautify the environment in urban landscaping in China. Its flowers are large and double-petaled, with a long blooming period and many bright colors. Normally, a plant propagated and cultivated from scratch takes 4 to 5 years to bloom, and for the plant to reach a larger size requires even more time. Urban landscaping differs from home ornamental planting in that it generally requires camellia seedlings of a larger size. Because of the long growth cycle, land utilization is low. If existing output lags behind urban development needs, increasing the number of plants cultivated cannot meet market demand in time and also increases the market risk of overproduction. In addition, existing camellia plants have a single color per plant, and the position of flowers on the plant cannot be predetermined, making it very difficult to create patterns with flower colors, and even outlining shapes is not easy. To this end, the Dehua Shibaxueshi Camellia Technology Cultivation Research Institute of Fujian Province organized technical personnel to tackle the problem, using oil tea trees as rootstock to graft Shibaxueshi camellia, which solved the above technical problems, and in December 2017 obtained a national invention patent (Patent No. ZL2014 1 0444697.1). The main techniques are described below.
1. Preparation Before Grafting
1.1 Grafting Site Conditions
The grafting site was chosen in Menghu Village, Chishui Town, Dehua County, which belongs to the mid-subtropical climate zone, with an annual average temperature of 16 to 18°C, rainfall of 1,600 mm, and a frost-free period of 250 d. The grafting site is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, and the soil, water source, and air are free from pollution. The soil has a relatively high organic matter content, moderate sand-clay ratio, and convenient drainage and irrigation, making it suitable for the growth of oil tea trees and Shibaxueshi camellia.
1.2 Rootstock Selection
For grafting Shibaxueshi camellia onto oil tea trees, the method of high grafting and top replacement on oil tea trees is generally used. Select 4- to 10-year-old oil tea trees with a trunk height of over 1 m, a diameter of 2 to 4 cm, vigorous growth, and no pests or diseases as rootstock. They were dug up from oil tea forests 2 years earlier, transplanted to the Menghu Village nursery, and grafted after surviving for more than 1 year. On the rootstock, select 5 to 7 main branches with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm as rootstock branches. The rootstock branches must have an appropriate branch angle and be evenly distributed so that after grafting the grafted branches can form a suitable new crown, making the camellia distribution symmetrical and beautiful with good ornamental value. In addition to the rootstock branches, 1 to 2 branches should be kept on each rootstock plant as nutrient-supply branches for the grafted branches. Cut the rootstock branches back to 4 to 8 cm, then remove excess branches and the central trunk above the grafted rootstock branches. The rootstock should be in a vigorous growth phase; only then can scion collection and grafting achieve a high survival rate and coordinated growth.
1.3 Scion Selection
From mother trees of Shibaxueshi camellia, select one-year-old branches from the outer periphery that are vigorous, have dark green leaves, are free of pests and diseases, have plump buds, and are over 0.2 cm in diameter as scions, thereby improving the survival rate and achieving coordinated growth. For scion collection on the same rootstock plant, different mother plants with similar blooming periods and similar growth vigor should be selected so that the crown develops in a balanced way. For rootstock with a thicker basal diameter, scions of Shibaxueshi camellia varieties with fast growth and large flowers should be chosen; for rootstock with a thinner basal diameter, scions of Shibaxueshi camellia varieties with smaller leaves and smaller flower diameter should be chosen. Multiple scions of different flower color varieties can be grafted onto the same rootstock plant to form a colorful structure of multiple colors and varieties on one branch, different on left and right, distinct from top to bottom, greatly enhancing the ornamental value.
2. Grafting Techniques
2.1 Grafting Time
For grafting Shibaxueshi camellia onto oil tea, it can be done during the growing seasons of oil tea and camellia in spring, summer, and autumn, but grafting from March to July gives better results. During this period the temperature is relatively suitable, the scion growth period in the current year is longer, the camellia scion has already lignified, the scion quality is better, and the survival rate of grafted plants is high. Although the temperature from October to November is relatively suitable and the survival rate of grafted plants is high, the scion growth period in the current year is shorter, and after winter begins the new shoots of the scion have not fully lignified and are susceptible to frost damage, so it is best to carry out grafting in a greenhouse.
2.2 Cutting the Rootstock
Control the rootstock height at 50 to 60 cm from the ground, and after controlling the branch diameter and length at 2 to 5 cm, saw it off. Keep auxiliary nurse branches, remove other side branches, clear away dirt around the graft below the cut surface, smooth the cut surface, and keep the cut surface as much as possible at a slightly higher position on the inner side.
2.3 Grafting
The commonly used grafting methods are cut grafting and cleft grafting. First, the cut grafting method. For cut grafting, cut the scion into 3 to 4 cm segments, each ensuring 1 to 2 side buds, keep the top 2 leaves, and remove the other leaves. At 1 cm below a bud on the scion, cut a long slant 1 to 2 cm long, and on the opposite side of the long slant cut a short slant of 0.5 cm. Smooth the cut end of the rootstock branch, and at the xylem edge of the rootstock branch cross-section choose a smooth spot and cut straight down, with the length and width of the cut matching the length and width of the scion's long slant. Then insert the scion with its long slant facing the main xylem into the rootstock to form the main grafted branch, wrap the bark of the cut around the outside of the scion, and tie it with a plastic film strip about 1 cm wide; when tying, the film strip must be pulled tight. Second, the cleft grafting method. After sawing off the rootstock at ground level, smooth the cross-section, and at 1/2 of the cross-section use a grafting knife to split straight down 5 to 10 cm deep. Cut the scion into lengths of 5 to 10 cm, keep 2 leaves at the top, cut the scion with two opposite cut faces in a wedge shape, then insert the prepared scion into the rootstock cleft and tie it tightly with plastic film.
3. Post-Grafting Management
3.1 Covering with a Bag to Preserve Moisture
After grafting, cover the scion completely with plastic film to help with sun protection and moisture retention. Generally about 30 d after grafting, when the new shoots of the scion touch the moisture-retaining film covering them, cut away the covering film. About 1 month after grafting, after the graft union between the scion and rootstock has completely healed, first loosen the binding film a little and then tie it tightly again. When the weather becomes cool in late autumn, remove all the film. When the new shoots of the scion grow to 15 cm, set up supports with bamboo poles and tie the new shoots to the supports to prevent them from being blown over by wind and reducing the survival rate.
3.2 Timely Branch Pulling
After the graft survives, appropriate shaping should be carried out. Especially for precious camellias, according to the needs of the tree shape and branch positions, in August of the year after the main grafted branch has survived for 1 year, select main grafted branches 40 to 60 cm long, place a pad at 1/3 of the branch length downward from the top of the main grafted branch, tie a pull rope at the pad, and apply external force through the pull rope so that the main grafted branch forms an angle of 55° to 65° with the ground, causing the main grafted branches to become evenly distributed around the trunk in an open-center shape. Before pulling the branch, first hold the branch with your hand and push it upward repeatedly, then repeatedly knead the branch left and right and up and down to soften it, gradually press it to the required angle, and then fix it with the pull rope. If using the wire-binding directional shaping method, do not use excessive force or the new branch may break.
3.3 Re-Grafting
After branch pulling and shape setting, select 3- to 4-year-old vigorous shoots or nurse branches as rootstock to graft again with Shibaxueshi camellia scions of different flower types and colors. When the new scions grow to 40 to 60 cm, pull and shape the branches again. In this way, through 3 to 4 rounds of re-grafting, re-pulling, and re-pruning, the overall shape of the crown progressively approaches the preset pattern.
4. Supporting Nursery Management Techniques
4.1 Water and Fertilizer Management
After high grafting Shibaxueshi camellia onto oil tea, note that the graft union should maintain appropriate humidity, which can promote the formation of callus tissue. In addition, after grafting, because of rootstock cutting and graft union healing, the trunk needs water and favors fertilizer, so nitrogen fertilizer must be applied in a timely manner. A 1% urea solution can be used for watering, applied once every 20 to 30 d along with irrigation. After the scion grows larger, a ring-shaped trench can be opened around each plant and 50 to 60 g of ternary compound fertilizer (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium = 16:16:16) applied, once every about 60 d. At the same time, pay attention to clearing trenches and draining water; waterlogging must be avoided. In drought, irrigate promptly to promote rapid plant growth, increase leaf area, and enhance photosynthesis.
4.2 Pest and Disease Control
4.2.1 Pest Control Shibaxueshi camellia has relatively few pests, but when new buds sprout, special attention must be paid to preventing common pests such as scarab beetles, scale insects, and aphids from damaging the new shoots of camellia. When damage is severe, first cut off branches where pests have laid eggs and branches already damaged, and use fenvalerate 5,000-fold solution or omethoate 1,000-fold solution to spray continuously 3 times before and after pest occurrence. Scale insects are relatively difficult to control and can also cause camellia to be infected with sooty mold. A 25% phosmet solution diluted 600-fold with water can be used, sprayed once every 1 to 2 weeks, and 3 to 4 consecutive sprays can kill scale insects. In addition, they can also be removed by brushing with an old toothbrush or bamboo strip. Mature camellia branches are relatively stable. In spring and summer, tortricid moths may occur, but generally they do not cause major damage; simply pick off the tortricid larvae directly.
4.2.2 Disease Control The main diseases include gray leaf spot, sooty mold, anthracnose, and algal leaf spot. In summer, with high temperature and high humidity, special attention should be paid to strengthening management and improving plant disease resistance. Once diseased branches and leaves are found, spray with 70% thiophanate-methyl 1,000 to 1,500-fold solution, or 10% difenoconazole water-dispersible granules 1,000 to 1,500-fold solution for control, once every 7 to 10 d, with 2 to 3 consecutive sprays, which can effectively control the disease.
The above is the introduction to the technique of grafting Shibaxueshi camellia onto oil tea tree rootstock in Fujian Province. Shibaxueshi camellia is a treasure among camellia varieties, with a very beautiful tree shape and particularly attractive flowers. If you want to grow it, you can refer to the technical introduction above!
Camellia Camellia japonica Camellia Illustrated Guide: How to Grow Camellia / How to Propagate Camellia
Camellia ProfileCamellia Camellia japonica
Camellia Cultivation Methods and Precautions Introduction to Camellia
Camellia, also known as camellia flower and winter-hardy flower, is a plant in the order Ericales, family Theaceae, native to southwestern China and now widely cultivated around the world. Camellia is a traditional famous flower of China and one of the world's famous flowers. It is the provincial flower of Yunnan Province, the city flower of Chongqing, Ningbo in Zhejiang, and other cities, and the prefectural flower of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The petals are bowl-shaped, single or double, with many precious varieties such as Shibaxueshi and Liujiao Dahong, and can be propagated by cuttings and approach grafting. Health-promoting flower tea made from camellia has therapeutic effects on coughing up blood, cough, and other conditions. Because of its graceful plant form, dark green and glossy leaves, and brilliant and colorful flowers, camellia is treasured by the world horticultural community. Its flower language is lovability, modesty, and prudence.
Camellia is native to southwestern China and the southern provinces of Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, and others. Camellia is a traditional famous flower of China and one of the world's famous flowers. It is also the city flower of Chongqing, the provincial flower of Yunnan Province, the city flower of Ningbo, Jinhua, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, and the prefectural flower of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. Because of its graceful plant form, dark green and glossy leaves, and brilliant and colorful flowers, it is treasured by the world horticultural community.
The cultivation of camellia in China had already entered palaces and common people's courtyards as early as the Sui and Tang dynasties. By the Song dynasty, the trend of cultivating camellia grew ever stronger. The Southern Song poet Fan Chengda once used the verse "Gates and lanes cheer at the temple ten li around, before the twelfth month the scenery already tells of spring" to describe the grand spectacle of camellia at Hailiu Temple in Chengdu at that time.
Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica of the Ming dynasty, Wang Xiangjin's Qunfangpu, and Piao Jingzi's Camellia Manual of the Qing dynasty all contain detailed records of camellia. By the 7th century, camellia was first introduced to Japan, and from the 18th century onward, camellia was introduced to Europe and America many times.
Morphological Characteristics of Camellia
Evergreen shrub, 1-3 m tall; young branches and young leaves have fine soft hairs. Leaves simple, alternate; petiole 3-7 mm long; leaf blade thinly leathery, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 5-12 cm long, 1.8-4.5 cm wide, apex shortly acute or obtusely acute, base cuneate, margin serrate, glabrous or slightly hairy below, lateral veins about 8 pairs, distinct.
Flowers bisexual, white, fragrant, usually solitary or 2 born in leaf axils; pedicel 6-10 mm long, curved downward; sepals 5-6, rounded, slightly hairy, margin membranous, ciliate, persistent; petals 5-8, broadly obovate; stamens numerous, outer whorl filaments united into a short tube; ovary superior, tomentose, 3-locular, style 1, apex 3-lobed. Capsule nearly spherical or flattened, pericarp leathery, relatively thin. Seeds usually 1 or 2-3, nearly spherical or slightly angular. Flowering period October to November, fruiting period October to November of the following year.
Ecological Habits of Camellia
The suitable growth temperature for camellia is between 20 and 25°C; growth stops above 29°C, and at 35°C the leaves may show scorching. It requires a certain temperature difference. Environmental humidity should be above 60%. Most varieties can tolerate low temperatures of -8°C (natural overwintering; Yunnan camellia is slightly less cold-tolerant), and in areas south of the Huai River they can generally overwinter naturally. It prefers acidic soil and requires good air permeability.
To favor root hair development, peat, decomposed sawdust, red soil, humus soil, or a mixed substrate of the above can generally be used for cultivation. Camellia can go without shading in spring, autumn, and winter, and in summer can be treated with 50% shading. Camellia has a relatively long blooming period, generally starting to bloom in October and ending in May of the following year, with the peak blooming period from January to March.
Variety Classification of Camellia
There are approximately 2,000 camellia varieties, which can be divided into 3 major classes and 12 flower forms. The Compendium of Materia Medica says: "Camellia has leaves like tea, and can also be used for drinking, hence the name." By 2013, China had more than 306 camellia varieties. Batch production has begun in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu, and other places.
Huajing records nineteen camellia varieties: Manao Camellia, Heding Hong, Baozhu Camellia, Jiaoe Bai Baozhu, Yangfei Camellia, Zhenggong Fen, Shiliu Camellia, Yinian Hong, Zhaodian Hong, Wan Camellia, Nan Camellia, and others. Camellia has many flower forms, including single, semi-double, double, curved-petal, five-star-petal, hexagonal, and pine-shell types. Flowers come in red, yellow, white, pink, and even white petals with red spots:
Single class: petals in 1-2 whorls, 5-7 pieces, basally connate, mostly tubular, fertile. Under it there is only 1 form, namely the single form.
Semi-double class: petals in 3-5 whorls, about 20 pieces, with some nearly 50 pieces. It is divided into 4 forms, namely semi-double form, five-star form, lotus form, and pinecone form.
Double class: most stamens are petaloid, petals naturally increase, and the number of petals is above 50. It is divided into 7 forms, namely tuogui form, chrysanthemum form, hibiscus form, crown form, hydrangea form, radiate form, and rose form.
Common Varieties
Shibaxueshi, Liujiao Dahong, Chidan, Zhuangyuan Hong, Huangguan, Feizhao Furong, Chamae, Huaheling, Fenxia, Hongluzhen, Azalea Red Camellia, Golden Camellia, Beila Da Meigui, Hongye Beila, Yunban Dayuanshuai, Black Magic, New Katie, Baotu, Tianjiao, Elsie, Huafoding, Sai Mudan, Elizabeth, Huanao, Xin Songhua, Dating, Da Zhusha, Xiang Taiyang (fragrant type), Jinbian Kena, Kremo Da Mudan (fragrant type), Kongque Chun, Da Kate, Xiao Songzi, Da Songzi, American Red, Hua Mudan, Qiu Mudan, Hua Xianzi, Huo Pubu, Da Hailun, Xueta, Fuse Da Hailun, Aili Mudan, Mr. Parks, Jinjiang Mudan, Valentine's Day, Jiezuo, Granate, Hongye Beila, Lali Pite, Laye, Zhouye Qihua, Royal Velvet, Yuwei Cha, Aomai Jincha, Yuanyang Fengguan, Diguo Zhihui, Da Feilisi, Kena, Kelaidi, Magic City, Banse Qingrenjie, Hong Zhenzhu
Precious Camellia Varieties of Yunnan
Hentiangao, Tongzimian, Zhusha Zipao, Da Zipao, Xuejiao
Camellia Cultivation Techniques Artificial Cultivation
There are many propagation methods for camellia; both sexual and asexual propagation can be used, among which cuttings and approach grafting are the most commonly used.
1．Cutting Method
This method is the simplest. The most suitable time for cuttings is September, and spring is also acceptable. Select well-grown, semi-lignified branches, remove the basal leaves, keep the upper 3 leaves, cut with a sharp knife into a slant, immediately dip the cut end into 200-500 ppm indolebutyric acid for 5-15 minutes, dry in the sun, and insert into a sand pot or vermiculite pot. After insertion, water; after about 40 days the wound heals, and after about 60 days roots form. Cuttings treated with hormones root 2 to 3 months earlier than those not treated with hormones. Using vermiculite as the cutting bed also results in much faster rooting than a sand bed.
2．Approach Grafting Method
Select a suitable variety such as Chazhong Camellia or oil tea as rootstock, and approach graft precious camellia onto it. The time for approach grafting is generally between Qingming Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. First plant the rootstock in a flowerpot, use a knife to shave off about half at the parts to be joined respectively, with smooth cuts, then make the cut surfaces of both sides fit closely together, wrap with plastic film, and water the rootstock twice a day. After 60 days they can heal. At that time they can be cut off and planted, and placed under tree shade to avoid direct sunlight. In February of the following year, use a knife to cut off the tail of the rootstock, and then plant out.
3．Leaf Cutting Method
For camellia propagation, stem cuttings are generally used, but some precious varieties, due to limited sources of branches or because taking material would affect their tree shape, also use the leaf cutting method. Use mountain soil as the cutting substrate, and mix in 1/3 river sand to facilitate aeration and drainage. Put the substrate in a clay pot, then carry out pot cutting. Leaf cutting is best done in the rainy season. Take one-year-old leaves as leaf cutting material; too old and they are not easy to root, too tender and they rot easily. Insert about 2 cm into the soil, press the soil firmly after insertion, water thoroughly, then place in a cool and ventilated place. Generally roots can develop in 3 months, and in the spring of the following year they can sprout and send out branches.
4．High Cutting Method
The greatest feature of the high-altitude layering method is that it can give new life to all the weak and small branches on the camellia that would otherwise be pruned away. Moreover, this method has a high survival rate, quick rejuvenation, and early blooming. The method is: on the weak branches that need to be pruned away, carry out girdling at an appropriate position (generally 15-25 cm of branch can be kept on the upper part), with a girdling length of 5-8 mm, tie an appropriately sized plastic film, add sterilized and disinfected peat soil or leaf mold inside the film, and after 7-10 days, girdle again 5-8 mm at the lower part of the plastic film. This is called the double-girdling high cutting method.
Tree Grafting Camellia
Camellia is a plant that is relatively difficult to keep alive. There are many propagation methods for camellia, among which grafting is the most commonly used. Graft propagation of camellia has many advantages: it can maintain the excellent traits of the variety; it can accelerate plant growth, enable rapid shaping, and allow large-scale production; it saves scion material, especially for rare varieties with few sources of scions, which is particularly important;
The technique for grafting camellia onto oil tea trees is as follows:
Grafting Time
The suitable grafting time is from June to July. At this time the new shoot leaves of the camellia scion have already unfolded, and the temperature is relatively high, so the graft wound heals quickly and the survival rate is high.
Grafting Methods
Use the cut grafting method among branch grafting methods. Because the grafting position is relatively high, we often call it "high grafting and top replacement."
1. Treatment of the rootstock: There are two methods for treating the rootstock. One is to graft from June to July, selecting 3 to 5 evenly distributed main branches with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm on the oil tea tree as grafting branches. After sawing off the grafting branches with a hand saw, use a sharp grafting knife to smooth the saw cuts before grafting. Thicker branches can be grafted with several scions around the periphery. The second is to cut back 3 to 5 evenly distributed main branches on the oil tea tree in the previous winter to promote adventitious shoots, then select and keep 3 to 5 adventitious shoots on each branch and tend them carefully, and graft from June to July after the adventitious shoots have become semi-lignified. This is also called green shoot grafting or softwood grafting.
2. Selection of scions: On selected mother trees of ornamental camellia varieties, select one-year-old branches from the upper outer periphery of the crown that are vigorous, free of pests and diseases, and have plump buds as scions.
3. Grafting tools and auxiliary materials: Prepare packing rope, plastic film strips, white plastic cover bags, cut grafting knives, pruning shears, hand saws, and so on.
4. Specific operation steps for cut grafting: Cut the scion into 5 to 6 cm segments, each ensuring 2 to 3 side buds; to reduce evaporation, half of each leaf can be cut off. At 1 cm below a bud on the scion, cut a long slant about 2 to 3 cm long, and on the opposite side of the long face cut a short face within 1 cm in length. Smooth the cut end of the rootstock, choose a smooth spot at the xylem edge of the rootstock cross-section and cut straight down, with the length and width of the rootstock cut corresponding to the long face of the scion, then insert the scion with its long slant facing the rootstock, align the cambium on one side, and wrap the bark of the rootstock cut around the outside of the scion.
If the rootstock is thick, several scions can be grafted around the periphery, and tied together after grafting. Tie with a plastic film strip about 1 cm wide (it should have a certain elasticity); when tying, the film strip must be pulled tight. After tying the rootstock, cover it with a white transparent plastic cover bag and tie the bag opening firmly with packing rope, which can play a moisture-retaining role. In places with too strong sunlight, the grafted plants should be shaded for care. During the care period, the sprouts on the rootstock should be wiped off at any time to reduce nutrient consumption.
Cultivation Points
1. Planting North of the Yangtze River, spring planting is preferable; south of the Yangtze River, autumn planting is preferable. For ground planting, choose sandy loam with good drainage, strong water retention, and rich in humus. For pot planting, use a culture soil prepared with 1/3 leaf mold, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 manure soil, or a mixture of 4 parts leaf mold, 5 parts peat soil, and 1 part coarse sand. pH 5-6.5. The planting site should be chosen where water does not accumulate and the blazing sun does not shine directly. Potted camellia should be brought indoors in winter and placed in a ventilated and light-transmitting place, and moved out in summer to a shade shed or other place where shade can be provided. Camellia should not be moved around randomly, otherwise it is unfavorable to its growth.
2. Light and temperature Camellia is a long-day plant. Flower buds can only form in an environment with a day length of 12 hours. The optimum growth temperature is 18-25°C, the optimum flowering temperature is 10-20°C, and above 35°C the leaves will be scorched. It is not cold-tolerant, and in winter it should be brought indoors with the temperature kept at 3-5°C. It can also endure short periods of -10°C low temperature, but cannot be kept above 16°C for a long time, otherwise it will promote sprouting and cause leaf drop. During the growing period it should be placed in a semi-shaded environment and should not receive overly strong direct sunlight. Especially in summer and autumn, shading should be carried out, or it should be placed in a place with dappled shade under trees.
3. Watering and fertilizing Camellia has relatively high requirements for fertilizer and water, and neutral and alkaline loam soils are unfavorable to its growth. In the north, special attention should be paid to acidifying alkaline water before it can be used to water the flowers. The specific method is to store tap water for 2 days to let the chlorine in the water volatilize, then add an appropriate amount of ferrous sulfate (about 0.5% of the water). The amount of watering must not be too large, otherwise it is easy to cause root rot. The pot soil must not be dry either, otherwise the roots are likely to shrink due to water loss. It is appropriate to keep the pot soil and the surrounding environment moist. Do not spray water during the blooming period. For fertilizing, thin alum fertilizer water is preferable, and strong fertilizer should be avoided. Generally, after sprouting in spring, apply thin fertilizer water once every 17 days; in summer apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers; in early autumn stop fertilizing for about 1 month; before blooming apply alum fertilizer water again; and when blooming apply quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to make the flowers large and brightly colored and the blooming period long.
4. Shaping and pruning For ground-planted camellia, mainly cut off dead branches, diseased and weak branches, crossing branches, overly dense branches, and branches that obviously affect the tree shape, as well as thinning out excess flower buds. For potted camellia, in addition to the above work, shaping and pruning should also be carried out according to personal preference, but heavy pruning is not suitable because its growth vigor is not strong.
5. Blooming period control Because camellia is not cold-tolerant, delaying the blooming period is not commonly used. Generally, methods such as selecting varieties, temperature control, and hormone treatment are used to control the blooming period. To make camellia bloom for "National Day", in mid-July or early August use a brush dipped in 0.1% gibberellin and dot it on the flower buds, once every 3 days, with normal fertilizer and water management. In September, decide whether to apply it to the flower buds based on their growth; if it is estimated that blooming for "National Day" is not assured, increase the number of applications and increase the amount of fertilizer and water to promote rapid growth of the flower buds so that flowers can be seen for "National Day".
Camellia is a traditional famous flower of China and one of the world's famous flowers. It is the city flower of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province and also the provincial flower of Yunnan Province in China. Because of its graceful plant form, dark green and glossy leaves, and brilliant and colorful flowers, it is treasured by the horticultural communities of the whole world. In Jinhua, there is a dedicated camellia park that preserves many camellias.
Daily Care
1．Light
Camellia is a semi-shade-loving flower, and in summer it needs a shed for shading. After the Beginning of Autumn, as the temperature drops, camellia enters the flower bud differentiation stage, and the whole plant should gradually receive sufficient light. In winter it should be placed in a place with ample indoor sunlight. If the indoor light is too weak, camellia will grow poorly and is prone to pests and diseases.
2．Temperature
Camellia likes warmth and fears cold. The indoor temperature must not be lower than 5°C. In a room with a temperature of 10-15°C, with other measures appropriate, it can bloom by the Spring Festival, and the blooming period can last until March. Humidity. Generally, indoor conditions in winter are relatively dry, so water should often be sprayed on the leaf surface of camellia to form a humid microclimate. But do not spray water on cloudy and rainy days.
3．Watering
Watering in winter depends on the indoor temperature, generally about once every 3 days, keeping the pot soil moist, and avoiding water accumulation or half-watering. Tap water should first be stored in a bucket for one or two days to let the chlorine volatilize. It is best to add one percent ferrous sulfate to the water to help improve water quality.
4．Fertilizing
Camellia likes fertilizer. Generally when potting or repotting, apply sufficient base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. In autumn and winter, because flower buds develop quickly, apply decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer once a week, and additionally apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer 1 to 2 times. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can easily cause flower buds to scorch and wither. After blooming, fertilizer can be applied less or not at all.
Disease Control of Camellia
The main diseases of camellia include ring spot, anthracnose, shoot blight, leaf spot, sooty mold, and others. The main control agents are: thiram 800-fold; carbendazim 500-fold; chlorothalonil 800-fold; and prochloraz 800-fold for regular control. Before blooming, attention should be paid to the control of gray mold and flower blight.
Camellia pests are mainly red spiders, aphids, scale insects, tortricid moths, and inchworms. The main control agents are cypermethrin 15 mL + isocarbophos 20 mL or monocrotophos 25 mL mixed with 30 jin of water for spraying.
Medicinal or Dietary Therapeutic Value of Camellia
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Huhua Web are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel, and for the treatment of any disease, follow medical advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting mission: to love yourself, start from reality and strictly follow medical advice. Toward illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Internal Use Method for Camellia
Materials: 4-6 camellia flowers, 3 qian of agrimony, 1 liang of lotus root, 1 liang of imperata rhizome.
Method: Decoct 6 bowls of water into 2 bowls, and take in three divided doses.
Uses: Effective for nosebleeds, coughing up blood, and cough.
External Application Method
Materials: 4-6 each of camellia flowers, hibiscus flowers, and gardenia flowers.
Method: Grind all of them, then add clear tea liquid (tea water with the grounds removed).
Uses: To treat burns and scalds, and mosquito and insect bites.
Flower Language of Camellia
Camellia: lovability, modesty, ideal love, remarkable charm
Camellia (white): pure and innocent, how can you belittle my love
Camellia (red): natural beauty
Camellia (Camellia)
Flower language: charm
Flower divination: You do not have exaggerated or affected expressions, and you consider yourself merely a tiny part of this universe, never showing off in front of others. In fact, in the eyes of the opposite sex, you are a very charming person. Perhaps because of your modest virtue, you can give people a better impression.
Flower motto: Only the person who achieves complete enlightenment is the wisest.
White Camellia (Camellia)
Flower language: reserved
Flower divination: You are a gentle and sensitive person, and you also have a strong will. Your heart holds passion and longs for love. Even so, you will not take an aggressive attitude to confess to the other person. After you have set your sights on the target, you will pursue the other person step by step, and then the passion in your heart will slowly be drawn out.
Flower motto: Never rush into marriage; wait until love has matured.
Red Camellia (Camellia)
Flower language: Rationality
Flower divination: You are an impatient person who only wants to know the result of everything, and pay little attention to the process in between, so you always have to pay double the price compared to others to get the same harvest. You hope to have passionate love, and have long since made up your mind without leaving a way out, until you find true love.
Flower motto: Never act on impulse; testing the waters is a way to protect yourself.
The cultural background of the camellia
Legend has it that there was a woman named Dabu. She was very hardworking and kind, but she was always alone, working from dawn to dusk. She had food and clothing, and lived a very comfortable life.
Her greatest hobby was loving flowers and plants. Inside and outside her courtyard, she planted quite a few flowers and plants. Whenever she had time, she would water the flowers and plants, hoe the weeds, and catch insects. Red, white, yellow, purple, there was nothing she did not have; spring, summer, autumn, winter, there were flowers blooming in every season. They vied in splendor, a riot of color, with a fragrant scent that refreshed the heart. But there was not one she especially liked. She always wanted to find the one flower she loved most and plant it in the center of her courtyard. She searched everywhere, looked over all the mountains and ridges, and still had not found the flower she loved most.
One day, Dabu went to the Kuige Longtan to fetch water to water the flowers. When she reached the edge of the Longtan, she saw a flower with nine stamens and eighteen petals reflected on the water's surface, its colors extremely vivid, and she was stunned by the sight. After looking for a while, she raised her head and looked around, but did not find any flower like the one on the water's surface, so she filled the container with water and carried it home on her back. When she went out, she thought of that flower; when she came in, she thought of that flower again; with her eyes open she thought of that flower, and with her eyes closed she also thought of that flower! Thinking and thinking, within a few days she fell ill, not eating or drinking, lying in bed all day. What illness had she gotten? She did not know either. Many doctors came to treat her, but none could cure her illness. Her illness grew worse day by day! After being ill for a few days, Dabu was about to die. At the critical moment, a beautiful girl stepped over the threshold, came to Dabu's bedside, called her Amah sweetly, and said she had come to treat her illness. When Dabu opened her eyes and looked, she saw that the flower inserted in the girl's hair and the flower hanging on her chest were exactly the same as the kind she had seen on the water's surface. Without taking a single pill, she recovered! Dabu suddenly turned over, jumped out of bed with a thud, and stared at the girl without blinking. The girl's smiling face was also just like the flower she had seen. Dabu asked the girl what flower she was wearing, and she said it was a camellia; when asked whether she had any flower seedlings, she gave Dabu one.
After the girl left, Dabu took a hoe and planted the camellia in the center of the courtyard. Every day Dabu watered the camellia, every month she fertilized it, every season she hoed the weeds around it, as carefully and thoughtfully as raising a nursing baby. Within a few years, the camellia tree grew up and bloomed. That camellia tree had a vigorous and graceful posture, and its green leaves did not wither in all four seasons; each flower was as large as a peony, as brilliant as rosy clouds, graceful and dazzling! What was even stranger was that when that camellia was in full bloom, the people of the surrounding villages, when drawing water with golden basins, could see the reflection of the camellia; when going to the edge of the Longtan to fetch water, they could also see the beautiful image of the camellia on the water's surface.
No one knows how many years passed, but Dabu died. It is said that the girl who gave the camellia to Dabu was the camellia fairy from heaven! In order to commemorate the camellia fairy and also to commemorate Dabu, a temple was built at the place where the camellia was planted, named the Camellia Temple. During the late Qing Dynasty, the Camellia Temple was destroyed, but the legend about the camellia is still told to this day!
Camellia pictures
Camellia Camellia japomica Camellia illustrated guide: how to grow camellias / how to propagate camellias
Camellia profileCamellia Camellia japomica
Aliases: Mandala tree, Souchen, Shanchun, Naidong, camellia, late camellia, tea flower, foreign tea
Classification: tree flower
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Ericales, Theaceae, Camellia
Bloom period: spring, winter
Camellia, also known as shancha hua, is a plant of the Theaceae family, belonging to evergreen shrubs and small trees. Its ancient name was sea pomegranate. It has aliases such as Yuming flower, Naidong or mandala, and is also divided into East China camellia, Sichuan camellia and late camellia. There are extremely many varieties of camellia. It is a traditional ornamental flower of China, ranking seventh among the "Top Ten Famous Flowers," and is also one of the world's precious flowering trees.
Camellia cultivation methods and precautions, introduction to camellias
Camellia, also known as shancha hua, is a plant of the Theaceae family, belonging to evergreen shrubs and small trees. Its ancient name was sea pomegranate. It has aliases such as Yuming flower, Naidong or mandala, and is also divided into East China camellia, Sichuan camellia and late camellia. There are extremely many varieties of camellia. It is a traditional ornamental flower of China, ranking seventh among the "Top Ten Famous Flowers," and is also one of the world's precious flowering trees.
Morphological characteristics of camellias
Camellia is an evergreen broad-leaved shrub or small tree. The branches are yellow-brown, and the twigs are green or green-purple to purple-brown. The leaves are leathery, alternate, elliptical, long elliptical, ovate to obovate, 4-10 cm long, with the apex gradually pointed or sharply pointed, the base wedge-shaped to nearly semicircular, and the margins serrate. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green, mostly glossy, while the underside is lighter. The leaves are smooth and hairless, and the petiole is thick and short, with soft hairs or hairless.
The flowers are bisexual, usually solitary or 2-3 borne at the tip of the branch or in the leaf axils. The pedicel is extremely short or inconspicuous, with 9-10 bracts and sepals, arranged in imbricate fashion, covered with downy hair. The flower is single-petaled, with 5-7 petals arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion. The flower diameter is 5-6 cm, the color is bright red, the petal apex is concave or notched, and the base is united into one body and forms a tube shape; the stamens are well developed, as many as more than 100, the filaments are white or with a red tinge, the base is united into a tube shape, gathered at the flower center, and the anthers are golden yellow; the pistil develops normally, the ovary is smooth and hairless, 3-4 locules, the style is single, the stigma is 3-5 lobed, and the seed-setting rate is high. The capsule is round, the shell is lignified, and the mature capsule can naturally split open from the dorsal suture and release the seeds.
The twigs of camellia are green or green-purple to purple-brown. The flowers are bisexual, usually solitary or 2-3 borne at the tip of the branch or in the leaf axils. The pedicel is extremely short or inconspicuous, with 9-10 bracts and sepals, arranged in imbricate fashion, covered with downy hair. The flower is single-petaled, with 5-7 petals arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion. The flower diameter is 5-6 cm, the color is bright red, the petal apex is concave or notched, and the base is united into one body and forms a tube shape.
The seeds are light brown or dark brown, nearly spherical or pressed against each other into polygonal shapes, with flat surfaces and angular edges. The seed coat is horny and hard, the seeds are rich in oil, and the cotyledons are thick. The capsule is flat-spherical, with hairs on the surface. Golden camellia is a small tree, 2-6 m tall, with thin leathery leaves, oblong leaves, margins with bony small serrations or fine serrations, smooth on both sides, sometimes hairy. There are 7-8 petals, and at most up to 17, golden yellow to pale yellow, with waxy luster, flower diameter 3-5.5 (10) cm; the ovary mostly has 3 locules, hairless or hairy. The capsule is flat-spherical or nearly spherical.
Yunnan camellia leaves are larger than those of camellia, 6-14 cm long and 3-7 cm wide, with sharp serrations on the leaf margins. The flowers are also larger than those of camellia, 8-16 cm in diameter, and some reach 22 cm; the ovary has 3-5 locules, densely covered with silky down. The capsule is flat-spherical, with hairs on the surface. Golden camellia is a small tree, 2-6 m tall, with thin leathery leaves, oblong leaves, margins with bony small serrations or fine serrations, smooth on both sides, sometimes hairy. There are 7-8 petals, and at most up to 17, golden yellow to pale yellow, with waxy luster, flower diameter 3-5.5 cm; the ovary mostly has 3 locules, hairless or hairy. The capsule is flat-spherical or nearly spherical.
Camellia is a semi-shade-loving tree species with a deep root system and well-developed main root. It often grows in pine-oak mixed forests or secondary shrublands of evergreen broad-leaved forests, and grows well in deep soil, organic-rich, sparsely shaded and moist places or on both sides of ravines. The bloom period of Yunnan camellia is from December to February-March of the following year, and each flower lasts about 15 days from first blooming to final blooming. The fruit ripening period is September-October.
In addition to the original species, camellias have many horticultural varieties. Today the world's camellia varieties have developed to more than 5,000. China's camellia varieties number about 300, and are currently being organized and studied. According to the petalization of stamens, the natural increase of petals, the evolution of stamens, and the petalization of sepals, they are broadly divided into 3 major classes and 12 flower types:
Single-petal class: petals arranged in 1-2 whorls, 5-7 pieces, united at the base, mostly tubular, with pistils and stamens fully developed and able to set seed.
(1) Single-petal type: characteristics as above.
Semi-double class: petals arranged in 3-5 whorls, about 20 pieces, and in many cases nearly 50 pieces (including petals petalized from stamens).
(1) Semi-double type: petals arranged in 2-4 whorls, the small petals of the stamens and most of the stamens concentrated at the flower center, most stamens tending to degenerate, occasionally able to set seed, such as 'Bai Mian Qiu', 'Xing Hong Mu Dan', etc.
(2) Five-star type: petals arranged in 2-3 whorls, the corolla in the shape of a five-pointed star, stamens present, pistils tending to degenerate. Such as 'Dong Yang Cha', etc.
(3) Lotus type: petals arranged in 3-4 whorls, the corolla in lotus shape, stamens present, pistils tending to degenerate or occasionally present. 'Shi Xiang Jing', 'Hu Zhua Bai', etc. are representative varieties.
(4) Pine-cone type: petals arranged in 3-5 whorls, in the shape of a pine cone, with both pistils and stamens present. 64. Song Zi, 'Da Song Zi' is the representative variety.
Double class: most stamens petalized, petals naturally increased, with more than 50 petals (including petalized stamens).
Ecological habits of camellias
Camellia likes semi-shade and avoids blazing sun. It likes a warm climate, with an optimum growth temperature of 18-25°C, and the starting bloom temperature is 2°C. It is slightly cold-tolerant; ordinary varieties can withstand a low temperature of -10°C, and are heat-tolerant, but growth is inhibited above 36°C. It likes high air humidity and avoids dryness, and is suitable for growing in areas with annual precipitation above 1200 mm. It likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 5.5-6.5 being best. It sprouts shoots twice a year, the first being spring shoots, beginning in March-April; summer shoots sprout in July-September. The bloom period is long, with most varieties blooming for 1-2 months, and a single flower generally blooming for 7-15 days. The bloom period is February-March. Aliases: camellia, tea flower, mandala tree, late camellia, Naidong, tan, foreign tea, Guchun, Shanchun.
Camellia likes a warm, humid and semi-shade environment. It fears high temperatures and avoids blazing sun. The optimum growth temperature for camellia is 18-25°C, 13-18°C from March to September, and 10-13°C from September to March of the following year. When the temperature is above 12°C it begins to sprout, and above 30°C it stops growing. The starting bloom temperature is 2°C, and the suitable temperature for flower opening is 10-20°C. Cold-tolerant varieties of camellia can withstand -10°C for a short time, and ordinary varieties -3 to -4°C. When the summer temperature exceeds 35°C, leaf scorch will appear.
Camellia is suitable for an environment with sufficient moisture and humid air, and avoids dryness. In the hot, dry summer and autumn, it should be watered or sprayed in time, and the relative air humidity is best at 70%-80%. During the plum rain season, pay attention to drainage to avoid root waterlogging and rot.
Camellia is a semi-shade plant, suitable for growing under scattered light, and fears direct sunlight. Seedlings need shading. But long-term too much shade is unfavorable to camellia growth, making leaves thin and flowers few, affecting ornamental value. Adult plants need more light to facilitate flower bud formation and blooming.
For open-field cultivation, choose deep, loose soil with good drainage, and a pH of 5-6 is most suitable. Alkaline soil is not suitable for camellia growth. For potting soil, use fertile, loose, slightly acidic loam or leaf mold.
Cultivation techniques for camellias
Camellia can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, grafting, layering and other methods. Sowing is generally used to cultivate new varieties or propagate rootstock. After the seeds mature in autumn and winter, they are collected and immediately sown in the seedbed. At a temperature of 18-20°C, they germinate in 10-30 days, and cultivation requires 4-5 years before blooming. Cuttings are carried out from April to June, selecting one-year-old hard branches about 10-15 cm long, leaving one terminal bud and one lateral bud at the upper end, with 2-3 leaves attached, ring-barked, and all lower leaves must be cut off. The cutting medium can be sandy loam or humus soil. The cutting pot is placed under a shade frame, maintaining a temperature of 18-20°C and relative humidity of 80%-85%. Roots form in about 60-100 days, and new shoots can sprout the following spring. Current-year softwood cuttings can also be used, rooting in about 30 days. Horticultural varieties of camellia are often propagated by approach grafting. The rootstock can be seedlings of camellia, oil tea and tea plum. Nearby, cutting seedlings of the variant camellia Bai Chuai tea are often used as rootstock. The scion should be 2-3 years old and about 30-40 cm long. The base of the approach scion and the root collar of the rootstock are each cut with a 4-5 cm incision, and then the two are joined. Approach grafting is suitable from May to June. About 100-120 days after grafting, the rootstock and scion can completely heal and can be cut away from the mother plant. Air layering is carried out from May to October, selecting strong one-year-old branches, making a 1 cm wide ring bark, filling the wound with leaf mold in a plastic bag and tying it, keeping it moist, and roots form in 2 months, then cut off and potted. Imbricate arrangement, covered. The flower is single-petaled, 5-7 pieces, arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion, diameter 5-6 cm, bright red, petal apex concave or notched, base united into one body and tubular; likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic pH 5.5-6.5 is best. It sprouts shoots twice a year, the first being spring shoots, beginning in March-April; summer shoots sprout in July-September. Most varieties bloom for 1-2 months, and a single flower generally blooms for 7-15 days. Bloom period February-March. 6-14 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, leaf margins with sharp serrations. Flowers also reach 22 cm, densely covered with silky. Capsule flat-spherical, with hairs on the surface. Flower diameter 3-5.5 cm, flat-spherical or nearly spherical.
Ground-planted camellias
It is further divided into garden cultivation and nursery cultivation. If used for garden greening cultivation, there must be shade trees as companions; for nursery cultivation, shade trees must be planted in rows. In warm areas, autumn planting is generally better than spring planting. Fertilization must grasp three key periods, namely: apply topdressing in February-March to promote the growth of spring shoots and flower buds; apply topdressing in June to promote the growth of secondary branches and improve drought resistance; apply base fertilizer in October-November to improve the plant's cold resistance and lay a good foundation for new shoot growth the following spring. Cleaning the garden is one of the effective measures to prevent and control pests and diseases and strengthen tree vigor. Winter plowing can eliminate overwintering pests. Throughout the year, 5-6 rounds of intertillage and weeding are needed, but in the hot summer season intertillage should be stopped to reduce soil moisture evaporation. The main pests of camellia are: tea tussock moth, tea leaf roller, tea black citrus aphid, etc. The main diseases are: tea ring spot, camellia algal leaf spot and camellia anthracnose, etc. Control methods are: remove dead branches and fallen leaves to eliminate sources of infection. Strengthen cultivation management to enhance plant disease resistance, and chemical control.
Potted camellias
The size of the pot and the proportion of the seedling must be appropriate. The potting soil used is best made by adding 1/2-1/3 one-year decomposed cut pine needles to garden soil. Pot in November or February-March of the following year, and never pot in the hot season. After potting, water thoroughly, and water moderately at ordinary times. The amount of watering should change with the seasons. Around Qingming, the plant enters the growth and sprouting period, and the water amount should gradually increase. After the new shoots stop growing (about late May), watering should be properly controlled to promote flower bud differentiation. June is the plum rain season, so guard against waterlogging. In the hot summer season, leaf surface evaporation is high, so leaf spraying is needed. Spraying is best done in the early morning or evening, and never at noon. In winter, the plant gradually enters dormancy, and the frequency of watering should be correspondingly reduced. Never water with cold water under high temperature and blazing sun, so as to avoid root discomfort and physiological leaf drop. When the temperature is high or on windy days, leaf surface evaporation is high, so water or spray more. When air humidity is high, reduce the amount of watering. If drought and dehydration occur, with branches and leaves wilting, immediately place the plant in a shaded place, water thoroughly, and at the same time spray the leaves. Generally, large-leaf, large-flower camellia varieties and fast-growing varieties have high water demand and should be watered more. Precious varieties such as Shi Xiang Jing, Yuan Feng Guan, Sa Jin Bao Zhu, Feng Xian, Lu Zhu Qiu, etc. have low water evaporation, and excessive watering will cause leaf drop and bud drop. In the hot summer and autumn seasons, shade and cool down in time. In winter, take anti-freezing measures. Potted plants overwinter indoors, and it is best to maintain 3-4°C. If the temperature exceeds 16°C, it will promote early sprouting. Fertilization, pruning, and pest and disease control for potted camellias are basically the same as for open-field cultivation.
Camellia propagation methods and cultivation characteristics
Camellia likes a warm and humid climate environment, avoids blazing sun, likes semi-shade scattered light, and is also shade-tolerant.
Fertilization methods
Do not over-fertilize, and do not apply concentrated fertilizer. This is the characteristic that camellia does not like concentrated fertilizer, otherwise it will damage the root system and reduce the number of flowers. The base fertilizer for camellia is best organic fertilizer, such as fermented chicken and duck manure and animal organs, as well as bean cake, fish bone meal, etc. These organic fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other components, are relatively comprehensive, and have long-lasting fertilizer effect. When applying, they can be sun-dried and crushed into powder, first mixed with 5-6 times dry soil, and then scattered 2-3 cm away from the plant roots when repotting and filling the potting soil.
Camellia likes cool weather and fears high temperature and heat. When topdressing after the beginning of spring, alum fertilizer water must be applied. To make alum fertilizer water, add 100 g of green to 10 kg of clean water, then add 200 g of bean cake powder and 1000 g of dry poultry manure and soak and ferment. In hot weather, soak for 1 month; in cool weather, soak for 3-4 months to fully decompose.
Commonly used propagation methods
There are cuttings, grafting, and sowing.
（1）Cuttings
The suitable cutting period in East China is mid-to-late June. The second cutting is carried out from late August to early September. In both periods the temperature is around 30°C, and with shade facilities the temperature can be controlled at around 25°C. The cuttings should be selected from the outer canopy, with full tissue, complete leaves, plump leaf buds and no pests or diseases, from current-year semi-mature branches. The cutting length is generally 4-10 cm, with 2 leaves left at the tip, and the lower part should be cut with a heel. The cutting density is generally 10-14 cm between rows and 3-4 cm between plants, requiring the leaves to interlock without overlapping. The cuttings are inserted about 3 cm into the soil. Shallow insertion roots quickly, deep insertion roots slowly, and after insertion spray thoroughly. From cutting to rooting generally takes about 30 days. "The key to survival is to maintain sufficient humidity in the early stage of cutting, take measures to reduce hot air convection, never allow direct sunlight, and pay attention to spraying the leaf surface, keeping the leaf surface often covered with a thin film of water." After rooting, gradually increase sunlight. After October, let the seedlings receive full sunlight to accelerate lignification.
（2）Grafting
Seedling rootstock bud grafting: after the seeds are sown in a sand bed and grow for about 2 months, when the seedlings reach 4-5 cm tall, they can be dug up and grafted by the cleft grafting method. Select well-grown semi-lignified branches as scions, cutting them one by one from bottom to top with 1 bud and 1 leaf. Cut the scion into a regular wedge shape and place it in a wet towel. Take the dug rootstock seedlings, remove the mud and sand, then cut them off 1-1.5 cm above the cotyledons, and split the stem vertically along the cotyledon suture line with one cut, with the depth matching the bevel cut on the scion; insert the cut scion into the split of the rootstock, align the cambium on one side, and tie tightly with plastic film tape. Plant the grafted seedlings in the seedbed at a row-to-plant spacing of 8 cm x 2 cm. The bed soil should be fertile, loose sandy loam. After planting, the seedbed should be covered with a plastic shed to keep warm. Generally healing begins in 10-15 days, and in 20-25 days the film can be opened at night to allow ventilation. Thereafter gradually increase ventilation and appropriately increase light, and after new growth begins, remove the film entirely. Semi-mature branch grafting uses adult plants of thick camellia or oil tea as rootstock for replacement side grafting, and within 1-2 years a large plant of a famous camellia variety can be cultivated. Select healthy plants with plump buds and no pests or diseases as rootstock. For summer grafting, pruning is carried out before the end of February; for autumn grafting, pruning is carried out in early-to-mid June, cutting off diseased and weak branches, drooping branches, crossing branches and overly dense branches. The suitable grafting temperature is 5-30°C. For branches with a diameter of more than 1 cm, bark grafting is used, that is, at an appropriate part of the rootstock, make one cut each on the top, left and right, reaching the xylem, pull the bark down, with its length matching the cut surface of the scion, then attach the cut scion to the pulled bark of the rootstock, pull the bark up to wrap the scion, then bind it with plastic tape, exposing the buds, and then put on a plastic bag to increase humidity and promote healing. After 30 days, remove the binding. After the scion sends out new shoots and gradually lignifies, remove the tie. Cutting off the rootstock is done in 3 stages: the first time, cut off the top when binding; the second time, after the first new shoot of the scion is fully lignified, cut off 1/3 of the upper part of the rootstock; the third time, after the second new shoot of the scion is fully lignified, cut off the rootstock at the graft union. Grafting in the hot season, success or failure depends on the control of high temperature. A shade frame must be set up, covered with double-layer curtains, so that basically no direct sunlight enters the shed. Spray water to cool down around noon, controlling the local temperature at around 30°C.
（3）Sowing
In early-to-mid October, place the harvested fruit in a ventilated place indoors to dry in the shade. After the capsule splits and the seeds are taken out, sow immediately. If sowing cannot be done immediately in autumn, sand storage is needed until sowing in February of the following year. Before sowing, the seeds can be mixed with New High Lipid Film, and generally autumn sowing has a higher germination rate than spring sowing.
Commonly propagated by cuttings, grafting, layering, sowing and tissue culture.
Cutting propagation
Mid-June and around the end of August are most suitable. Select current-year semi-mature branches from the outer canopy with full tissue, complete leaves and plump leaf buds as cuttings, 8-10 cm long, with 2 leaves left at the tip. When cutting, keep as much old branch as possible at the base, so that callus tissue forms easily after insertion and roots develop quickly. Cut the cuttings in the early morning and insert them as soon as they are cut, inserting about 3 cm into the medium. When cutting, the leaves are required to interlock, and after insertion press firmly with the fingers. Shallow insertion is better, as it allows air and heals and roots quickly. The cutting bed needs shading, spraying the leaf surface every day, maintaining moisture, and keeping the temperature at 20-25°C. About 3 weeks after insertion healing begins, and roots form after 6 weeks. When the roots are 3-4 cm long, transplant into pots. When cutting, dip the base of the cuttings in 0.4%-0.5% indolebutyric acid solution for 2-5 seconds, which has a clear effect of promoting rooting.
Grafting propagation
It is often used for varieties that are difficult to root by cuttings or have few propagation materials. Grafting from May to June, when the new shoots have become semi-lignified, has the highest survival rate, and after successful grafting buds sprout and shoots grow quickly. The rootstock is mainly oil tea, with seeds collected in October, stored in sand in winter, sown in early April of the following year, and when the seedlings grow to 4-5 cm they can be used for grafting. Using the softwood cleft grafting method, use a blade to cut off the embryo bud part of the bud rootstock, make a vertical cut upward along the pith center at the center of the hypocotyl cross-section, then take one section of camellia scion, also cut the base below the node into a regular wedge shape, immediately insert the cut scion into the bottom of the rootstock split, align the cambium on both sides, bind with cotton thread, and put on a clean plastic bag. After about 40 days remove the bag, and only after about 60 days can buds sprout and shoots grow.
Layering propagation
In the plum rain season, select strong 1-year-old branches, 20 cm from the tip, make a ring bark 1 cm wide, wrap with leaf mold and then cover with plastic film. Roots form after about 60 days, and when cut off they can be directly potted, with a high survival rate.
Sowing propagation
Suitable for single-petal or semi-double varieties. The seeds mature in mid-October and can be sown immediately. Shallow sowing is better. Use vermiculite as the medium, cover with 6 mm, at room temperature 21°C, with 10 hours of light each night, which can promote seed germination. Germination begins 15 days after sowing, and within 30 days the seedlings reach 8 cm tall. Transplant when the seedlings have 2-3 leaves.
Tissue culture propagation
The explant is often a seedling. After routine disinfection, cut it into 1 cm lengths and inoculate them on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L kinetin, 1 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.1 mg/L indoleacetic acid. After 4 weeks of culture only callus tissue forms, without forming buds. After transferring to new medium, a single 4 cm shoot begins to form, then soak in 0.5 mg/L indolebutyric acid solution for 20 minutes, then transfer to 1/2 MS medium, and roots grow after 4 weeks. After growing for 8 weeks on the rooting medium, transplant the seedlings into pots filled with perlite and peat.
Pest and disease control for camellias
There are camellia anthracnose and camellia blister blight; common pests include red spider mites and scale insects.
When camellia is cultivated indoors or in greenhouses, if ventilation is poor, it is susceptible to red spider mites and scale insects. It can be controlled by spraying with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution or washed clean. In the plum rain season, air humidity is high, and anthracnose damage often occurs. It can be controlled by spraying with Bordeaux mixture of equal amounts or 25% carbendazim wettable powder at 1000 times dilution.
When semicircular or irregular brown lesions appear at the leaf tip or leaf margin of camellia, with massive leaf drop and even death of the whole plant, it is caused by fungal infection. Common ones include: brown spot disease, which in the early stage forms many small brown spots on the front of the leaf, then gradually expands into semicircular, round or irregular large brown spots, and finally turns silver-gray, with many small black grains arranged in rings or scattered, and a clear boundary between the lesion and normal tissue. Red spot disease, which in the early stage is light brown small spots, then expands into round or irregular red-brown lesions, but there are no small grains on the lesions; the lesion margin is slightly raised, darker in color, with a clear boundary from normal tissue. This disease occurs in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang area and in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan and other places. In severe cases a large number of leaves fall off, and even the whole plant dies.
In addition, there is camellia anthracnose caused by anthracnose fungi, which also mostly occurs at the leaf margin. The shape and color of the lesions are basically similar to the leaf spot disease caused by the above-mentioned leaf spot fungi, but the typical symptom unique to anthracnose is that the lesion produces a pale red sticky substance when humidity is relatively high, which can distinguish it from other lesions. There are also fungi that infect the leaf surface, young leaves and young shoots of camellia, but the location, shape and color of the lesions are obviously different, and the control methods are the same. The above diseases are mainly caused by fungal infection when the disease resistance of camellia plants is reduced under high temperature and high humidity conditions. They can also occur at low temperature and rainy conditions or high temperature and dry conditions, as well as on wounds of plants with poor ventilation or sunscald spots, and generally occur easily in summer and autumn.
Strengthen management and careful maintenance to enhance plant disease resistance and reduce opportunities for infection. For example, appropriately increase the distance between plants and rows to maintain good ventilation; frequently weed, loosen the soil, and drain standing water; the soil should be acidic (pH around 6), loose, and have good drainage. Usually it should be watered when dry and withheld when wet, and never apply too much nitrogen fertilizer alone; in midsummer pay attention to shading to prevent sunscald, and avoid injuring leaves during management operations.
Chemical control: during the camellia growing period, spray once every half month for prevention. Once diseased leaves are found, remove them immediately and burn them together to reduce the source of infection. For affected plants, suspend fertilization (especially nitrogen fertilizer), drain standing water in time, keep the potting soil appropriately on the dry side, and pay attention to ventilation. At the same time, spray the leaf surface with chemicals. Commonly used control chemicals include: 65% zineb wettable powder at 800 times dilution; 50% Tuzet wettable powder at 800-1000 times dilution; 75% chlorothalonil and 50% carbendazim at 500-800 times dilution; 70% thiophanate at 800-1000 times dilution, etc., all have good control effects. Spray the leaf surface once every two weeks, wetting the entire leaf surface, for three consecutive times, preferably in the evening. Note that when using zineb, avoid mixing it with other alkaline pesticides.
The reason the medication effect is poor also lies in often using one kind of chemical for control. Over time the pathogen will develop a certain resistance, and the effect will become less obvious. Other chemicals can be appropriately substituted, or chemicals can be used alternately or mixed, and the plant's ecological environment should be improved in time. In addition, improper concentration, timing, or method of application will also reduce the sterilizing effect.
Common pests and diseases of spring flowers
In spring the temperature is warm but still cold, and the air humidity is high. The occurrence of crop pests and diseases is moderate to severe, and flowers also have many pests and diseases. Generally, the following are more serious in April-May:
Aphids: Hibiscus, ornamental peach, Chinese hibiscus, Chinese rose, honeysuckle, etc. are all easily harmed by aphids. As the temperature rises, aphids also increase day by day. Control methods: 1. Spray with 40% omethoate or 50% phosmet diluted 1200-1500 times with water. 2. For a small number of potted flowers, you can also spray with 70-100 times neutral laundry detergent solution.
Red spider mites: They begin to harm jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, asparagus fern, Chinese rose, dahlia, etc. from early April. Control methods: 1. Spray with Supracide 1000 times dilution. 2. For a small number of potted flowers, often rinse the front and back of leaves with tap water, or spray or dip with boiled and cooled 100-150 times flour paste water, then rinse once more with clean water after a day or two, which can achieve obvious results.
Scale insects (flower lice): Scale insects on white magnolia, Chinese rose, boxwood, and pittosporum mostly begin to hatch from mid-April to mid-to-late May. Control methods: 1. Before hatching, gently brush off the insects by hand. 2. During the larval hatching period, spray with 40% omethoate at 1000-1500 times dilution.
Damping-off: When the temperature reaches 20°C, newly sown flowers, saplings and some flowers prone to root rot are highly susceptible to damping-off when soil moisture is high. Control methods: 1. Before sowing, evenly mix 1.5-4 kg of 70% quintozene per mu into the soil. 2. Control watering at the seedling stage, and do not let the soil become too wet. 3. At the beginning of the disease, irrigate with 1% ferrous sulfate or 200-400 times 50% amobam solution, irrigating 2-4 kg of solution per square meter.
Rust disease: Rose rust disease infects when rose buds are about to open. Control methods: 1. When roses sprout, promptly remove and burn the yellow diseased buds that sprout first, to eliminate the source of infection. 2. Spray with 15% triadimefon at 700-1000 times dilution during the early infection period.
Powdery mildew: Chinese rose powdery mildew and impatiens powdery mildew mostly occur in May-June, and in summer easily cause symptoms such as yellow leaves, withered leaves, and curved young shoots. Control methods: 1. Pay attention to ventilation and light transmission for the flowers. 2. Apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. 3. Spray once with 15% triadimefon at 700-1000 times dilution at the early infection stage.
Identifying flower pests and diseases
Flower diseases are generally divided into two categories: physiological diseases and parasitic diseases. Physiological diseases are mainly caused by unsuitable conditions such as climate and soil. Common physiological diseases include: scorching caused by strong light in summer; freezing damage caused by low temperature in winter; root rot caused by excessive water; leaf edge scorching and wilting caused by insufficient water; deficiency symptoms caused by lack of certain nutrient elements in the soil, and so on. Parasitic diseases are caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and other infections of flowers. These organisms differ in form, but most have parasitic and pathogenic ability, and relatively strong reproductive capacity. They can spread from infected plants to healthy plants through various channels (stomata, wounds, insects, wind, rain, etc.), and under suitable environmental conditions grow, develop, reproduce, and spread, repeating the cycle and gradually expanding and spreading. Therefore, this type of disease causes the greatest harm to flowers. Fungi: Fungi are lower organisms with true nuclei and no chlorophyll. They use mycelium as the vegetative body and reproduce by spores, and are the most important category among flower diseases. Most fungal diseases have obvious disease signs, such as mold-like matter, powdery matter, rust-like matter, dot-like matter, thread-like matter, etc. These characteristics are one of the main bases for identifying fungal diseases. Common fungal diseases include powdery mildew, anthracnose, etc. Bacteria: Bacteria are a type of single-celled prokaryotic organism that reproduce by division. The main characteristics of bacterial diseases are that the affected tissue becomes water-soaked or the lesion is translucent, and under humid conditions bacterial slime oozes out from the diseased part, showing an "ooze" phenomenon. This is one of the main bases for identifying bacterial diseases. Common bacterial diseases include iris bacterial soft rot, etc. Viruses: Viruses are extremely tiny parasites. Their morphology can only be observed with an electron microscope. They parasitize within the living cell tissues of flowers, and can circulate with the host sap within the flower body and spread to the whole plant, causing whole-plant disease. Viral diseases often show symptoms such as mosaic, yellowing, deformity, and ring spot. Common viral diseases include narcissus viral disease, etc. Nematodes: Nematodes belong to a type of lower animal. Nematodes are slender in shape, slightly pointed at both ends, generally 1-2 mm in body length, like a roundworm. A few nematode female adults are spherical or pear-shaped. They mostly survive in the soil, parasitize the roots of flowers, stimulate the local proliferation of host cells, and form galls. Common nematode diseases include cyclamen root-knot nematode disease, etc.
Variety classification of camellias (1) The 3 major classes of camellias:
1. Single-petal class
2. Semi-double class
3. Double class
(2) The 12 types of camellias:
1. Single-petal class is divided into: single-petal type;
2. Semi-double class is divided into: semi-double type, five-star type, lotus type, pine-cone type;
3. Double class is divided into: tuogui type, chrysanthemum type, hibiscus type, crown type, hydrangea type, radial type, rose type.
There are about 2000 camellia varieties, which can be divided into 3 major classes and 12 flower types. The Compendium of Materia Medica says: "The leaves of the camellia are like tea, and can also be made into a drink, hence the name."
The Flower Mirror records nineteen camellia varieties: agate tea, crane-top red, treasure pearl tea, banana-calyx white treasure pearl, Yangfei tea, Zhenggong pink, pomegranate tea, Yi Nian Hong, Zhao Dian Hong, late camellia, southern mountain camellia, etc. Camellias have many flower forms, including single-petal, semi-double, double, curved-petal, five-star petal, hexagonal, pine-shell type, etc. The flowers come in red, yellow, white, pink, and even white petals with red dots:
Single-petal class: petals in 1-2 whorls, 5-7 pieces, united at the base, mostly tubular, and set seed. Under it there is only 1 type, namely the single-petal type.
Semi-double class: petals in 3-5 whorls, about 20 pieces, and in many cases nearly 50 pieces. It is divided into 4 types, namely semi-double type, five-star type, lotus type, pine-cone type. 3. Double class: most stamens petalized, petals naturally increased, with more than 50 petals. It is divided into 7 types, namely tuogui type, chrysanthemum type, hibiscus type, crown type, hydrangea type, radial type, rose type.
Common varieties include Chen Xi in the single-petal class, with crinkled petals, pure white; Sai Jin Guang, with white flowers marked with peach-red lines and sprinkled with fine dots; Da Hua Jin Xin, with bright red flowers, flower diameter 6-7 cm.
In the semi-double class there are Sai Luoyang, with red flowers and white spots; Da Song Zi, with dark red flowers; Zui Yangfei, with pink flowers; Xing Tao Mu Dan, with peach-red flowers.
In the double class there are Bai Bao Zhu, with pure white flowers; Hong Fu Rong, with oleander-red flowers; Hua Fu Rong, with white flowers and red lines; Hua Bao Zhu, with pink flowers and irregular red stripes; Wu He Peng Qiu, with bright red flowers; Hua Fo Ding, with bright red flowers and a small amount of white spots; Hong Shi Ba Xue Shi, with red flowers; Chi Dan, with bright red flowers; Hua He Ling, with pale red flowers and white spots.
Varieties bred abroad include:
Adolphe Audusson, with large, dark red, double flowers. Alba Plena, with large, white, double flowers.
Berenica Boddy, with light pink flowers, semi-double, with strong cold resistance.
Debutante, with large flowers, peony type, light pink.
Doncke-larii, with red flowers with white marble stripes, semi-double.
Elegans, with large flowers, anemone type, rose-red with white spots. Finlandia, with light pink flowers, semi-double.
Glen 40, with large, dark red, double flowers.
Herme, with pink flowers with irregular white edges and deep pink stripes, semi-double.
Kumasaka, with rose-type flowers, rose-red.
Magnoliaeflora, with pale red flowers, semi-double.
Mathotiana, with large flowers, rose type, dark red, double.
Purity, with white flowers, rose type, double.
Among hybrid camellias there is Donation, with large, pink, semi-double flowers.
Fragrant Pink, with small flowers, peony type, deep pink, and very fragrant flowers.
Distribution areas of camellias
Camellias originate from the Himalayan region, as well as Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Shandong; they are also found in Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and are especially abundant in Yunnan. Camellias were later introduced to Europe and America, becoming one of the world's best-known flowers.
There are already more than 306 camellia cultivars in China. Large-scale production has begun in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and other places. They have become the main potted ornamental flowering plants on the flower market in winter.
Camellias originate from China. Wild camellias are distributed under the trees in the mountain valleys and gullies of Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Sichuan, as well as on Laoshan in Shandong Province and its coastal islands. In Zhejiang Province, between Ningbo and the Siming Mountains, there are also stretches of wild camellia distribution. In the rock crevices at 380 m above sea level at Baoyan Nanhai, Huacheng Cave, Daluo Mountain, Ruian County, Wenzhou, in southern Zhejiang Province, an ancient camellia tree over 1,200 years old is still preserved. In Chongqing, Lichuan in Jiangxi, and Mount Emei in Sichuan Province, there are natural distributions of ancient wild camellia trees forming forests that are more than 1,000 years old.
As for the cultivated distribution of camellias, open-ground planting areas are mainly in the Yangtze River basin. In China, apart from parts of the Northeast, Northwest and North China where the climate is too cold for planting, they are planted in gardens almost everywhere across the country. However, large areas of open-ground cultivation are mostly found in Chongqing, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces. Yunnan camellia is a specialty of Yunnan, originating from Tengchong in southwestern Yunnan. It has a widespread open-ground cultivated distribution within Yunnan Province. After Liberation, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other places introduced and planted it, but mostly under greenhouse cultivation. In 1824, Yunnan camellia was first introduced to Europe. Most golden camellias originate from Guangxi, China; there are only 4 species in northern Vietnam, and they have also been found in Yunnan.
The role and uses of camellia: ornamental value
There are about 220 or more species in the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae, among which Camellia japonica, Yunnan camellia, Camellia sasanqua, and the newly discovered golden camellia in China are all important ornamental flowering plants.
Camellia is an evergreen flowering plant that blooms at the turn of winter and spring, with graceful blossoms and bright colors. Comrade Guo Moruo praised it highly: "A camellia tree blooms peach-red early, a hundred crimson clouds proudly stand in the air." Guo Lao also once wrote a poem in praise of Yunnan camellia: "It is said with admiration that camellia is the provincial flower; only today do I see the city filled with rosy clouds; everyone says the peony is fine, but I say the peony cannot match the camellia."
The dietary therapy or medicinal value of camellia
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Hugarden are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel, and for the treatment of any disease, please follow a doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-care mission: love yourself, start from reality, and strictly follow a doctor's advice. Toward illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Brief introduction to the medicinal material
[Alias] Camellia.
[Source] It is the plant Camellia japonica L. of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae, with the roots and flowers used as medicine. The roots can be collected throughout the year; the flowers are collected in spring and winter, then sun-dried or oven-dried.
Camellia, also known as chahua, is a plant of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae. Its blossoms are full and graceful, dignified and elegant, and it is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers. It is also one of the world's famous flowers.
Camellia is an evergreen shrub of the family Theaceae. It belongs to the family Theaceae, an evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching up to 3-4 m in height. The trunk is smooth and hairless. The leaves are ovate or elliptical, with fine serrations along the edges, leathery, and bright green on the surface. The flowers are solitary or paired, borne in the leaf axils or at the tips of branches; the petals are nearly round, and double-flowered varieties can have 50-60 petals. The flower colors include red, white, yellow, purple and ink-black, all very brilliant. The flowering period varies with variety, with flowers opening from October to April of the following year. The capsule is round and matures in late autumn, but most double flowers cannot bear fruit. Camellia has the proud plum-like character of "only the camellia is especially long-lasting, alone able to occupy the spring wind in the deep month," and also the peony-surpassing vividness of "flowers profuse and brilliantly red, deeply surpassing the morning glow." Therefore, since ancient times it has been a very famous woody flowering plant, reaching its peak in the Tang and Song dynasties, and after being introduced to Europe in the 17th century it caused a sensation, thus gaining the reputation of a "world-famous flower." It likes a cool, humid climate and cannot tolerate high temperatures. It is not demanding about soil, but sandy soil with high moisture content is more suitable; full sun and partial sun are both suitable. The fruit is a capsule, large with a thick skin, containing 1-2 or more than 2 seeds.
The medicinal material is pungent and bitter in flavor, cold in nature.
"Bencao Jingshu": Sweet in flavor with a slight pungency, balanced in qi and slightly cold.
"Bencao Fengyuan": Bitter, warm, non-toxic.
"Baicao Jing": Astringent in flavor.
Meridian tropism of the medicinal material:Liver; Lung meridians.
"Bencao Zaixin": Enters the liver and lung meridians.
"Bencao Cuoyao": Enters the foot Jueyin and hand Yangming meridians.
Functions and indications
Astringes and cools the blood, stops bleeding. Used for hematemesis, epistaxis, hemafecia, and metrorrhagia; externally used to treat burns and scalds, and traumatic bleeding.
"Gangmu": For burns and scalds, grind into powder and apply mixed with sesame oil.
"Yilin Zuanyao": Tonifies the liver and calms the liver, breaks blood stasis and removes heat.
"Baicao Jing": Cools the blood, breaks blood stasis, stops bleeding. Dissipates carbuncles and swellings and treats falls and blows, stops chronic dysentery, intestinal wind with bloody stool, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea with bloody strangury, nasal epistaxis and hematemesis; externally applied for moxibustion sores.
"Bencao Zaixin": Treats the blood aspect, regulates intestinal wind, clears liver fire, moistens the lungs and nourishes yin.
Applied prescriptions
To treat hematemesis and cough: One Baozhu camellia, roasted black on a tile, mixed with red granulated sugar, taken daily in unrestricted amount. Two: ten Baozhu camellia flowers, five qian of safflower, one liang of bletilla, four liang of red dates. Decoct in water into one bowl and take; the dregs can be taken again, and the red dates may also be eaten at any time. (Wang Diangui, "Buyao Liangfang")
To treat red dysentery: Large red Baozhu camellia flowers, dried in the shade and ground into powder, mixed evenly with white sugar, steamed three or four times over a rice pot and taken. ("Jiusheng Kuhai")
To treat hemorrhoid bleeding: Baozhu camellia, ground into powder and taken with water. ("Gangmu Shiyi")
To treat nipple cracking with a tendency to droop and abnormal pain: Baozhu camellia, roasted and ground into powder, mixed with sesame oil and applied. ("Gangmu Shiyi")
[Usage and dosage] 10-15 grams. For external use, an appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied mixed with sesame oil.
[Excerpted from] "National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicines", "Gangmu".
Cultural background of camellia: cultivation history
Camellias originate from China. In the early 7th century AD, Japan introduced camellias from China, and by the early 15th century it introduced large numbers of Chinese camellia cultivars. In 1739 Britain first introduced Chinese camellias, and afterward camellias spread to European and American countries. To date, the United States, Britain, Japan, Australia, Italy and other countries have developed rapidly in camellia breeding, propagation and production, and have entered the stage of industrialized production, with interspecific and intraspecific hybrids and new cultivars constantly coming onto the market.
China has a long history of cultivating camellias. Cultivation of camellias began as early as the Southern Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, camellias were cultivated as precious flowering plants. By the Song Dynasty, camellia cultivation was already very popular. In the Southern Song period, camellias from Wenzhou were introduced to Hangzhou and developed rapidly. In the Ming Dynasty, "Huashi" described and classified camellia cultivars. By the Qing Dynasty, camellia cultivation flourished even more, and camellia cultivars continuously appeared. Since 1949, China's camellia cultivation level has improved to a certain extent, and cultivar selection and breeding have further developed. There are already more than 300 camellia cultivars in China.
A beautiful legend
It is said that there was once a woman named Dabu. She was very hardworking and kind, but had always been alone, working from early morning until late at night. She had food and clothing, and lived a comfortable life.
Her greatest hobby was loving flowers and plants. Inside and outside her courtyard, she planted many flowers and plants. Whenever she had free time, she would water the flowers and plants, weed them, and catch insects. Red, white, yellow and purple, there was nothing she did not have; in spring, summer, autumn and winter, there were always flowers blooming. They vied in splendor, a riot of color, with a fresh fragrance that reached the heart. But there was not one she especially liked. She always wanted to find the one flower she loved most and plant it in the center of her courtyard. She searched everywhere and looked over all the mountains and ridges, but the flower she loved most was still nowhere to be found.
One day, Dabu went to Kuige Longtan to carry water to water the flowers. When she reached the edge of the dragon pool, she saw a flower with nine stamens and eighteen petals reflected on the water's surface, its colors extremely brilliant, and she was stunned. After looking for a while, she raised her head and looked around, but did not find any flower on the surface of the water of that kind, so she filled up with water and carried it home on her back. Going out the door she thought of that flower, coming in the door she thought of that flower again; with her eyes open she thought of that flower, with her eyes closed she also thought of that flower! Thinking and thinking, within a few days she fell ill, eating and drinking nothing, lying in bed all day. What illness had she contracted? She did not know either. Many doctors came to treat her, but none could cure her illness. Her illness grew worse day by day! Who knows how many days she had been ill, but Dabu was close to death.
At the critical moment, a beautiful girl stepped across the threshold, came to Dabu's bedside, called her "Ama" sweetly, and said she had come to treat her illness. Dabu opened her eyes and saw that the flower inserted in the girl's hair and the flower hanging at her chest were exactly the same as the kind she had seen on the water's surface. Without taking a single pill, she recovered! Dabu suddenly turned over, jumped down from the bed with a thud, and stared at the girl without blinking. The girl's smiling face was also just like the kind of flower she had seen.
Dabu asked the girl what flower she was wearing, and she said it was a camellia; when asked whether she had a seedling, she gave Dabu one.
After the girl left, Dabu took a hoe and planted the camellia in the center of her courtyard. Every day Dabu watered the camellia, every month she fertilized it, every season she weeded it, as careful and thorough as raising a nursing baby. Within a few years, the camellia tree had grown up and bloomed. That camellia tree had a vigorous and graceful form, with green leaves that did not wither through the four seasons; each flower was as large as a peony, brilliant as rosy clouds, graceful and dazzling! Even more strange was that when that camellia was in full bloom, people from the surrounding villages and stockades, using a golden basin to draw water, could see the reflection of the camellia; when going to the edge of the dragon pool to carry water, they could also see the beautiful image of the camellia on the water's surface.
Who knows how many years passed, but Dabu died. It is said that the girl who gave Dabu the camellia was a camellia fairy from heaven! In order to commemorate the camellia fairy, and also to commemorate Dabu, a temple was built at the place where the camellia was planted, named Camellia Temple. In the late Qing period, Camellia Temple was destroyed, but the legend about the camellia is still told to this day!
Camellia braves wind and snow, fears no harsh environment, and can bloom for a long time without fading through the severe winter. The fighting people all praise it as the flower of victory.
There is another legend about the camellia being called the flower of victory: Wu Sangui, a commander under Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, guarded Shanhaiguan. The peasant rebel army led by Li Zicheng captured Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself at Meishan. Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing army, and bringing in the Qing army, suppressed the peasant rebel army, served as vanguard, killed the Ming Prince of Gui, and was enfeoffed by the Qing as Prince of Pingxi, guarding Yunnan. In Yunnan, Wu Sangui ran amok, built a palace on Wuhua Mountain, created Axiang Garden, and ordered all parts of Yunnan to present rare flowers and exotic plants. There was a camellia at Puji Temple in Luliang County, more than two zhang tall, with flowers having nine stamens and eighteen petals, overflowing with rich fragrance, a rare treasure of the world. When the magistrate of Luliang County saw the decree, he went to Puji Temple and forced the residents beside the temple to dig up the camellia tree. The villagers refused, and it went on until dark. No one moved a spade. That night, an elderly man of high prestige in the village saw a beautiful girl come over, holding a blooming camellia in her hand, and say to him: "The villagers love me and cultivate me; my flowers open only for the fellow villagers, and Wu Sangui need not think of seeing even a glance of me. You cannot keep me here, and insisting on defying the order will make the common people suffer. Better to let that county magistrate send me away; I have my own way to deal with them and will surely return in victory." The old man reached out to grasp the girl's hand, and with a start he woke up; it had been a dream.
The next day the old man told the villagers about the dream. Everyone thought it was the camellia fairy sending a dream, so they should do as she said! The county magistrate personally escorted the villagers in sending the camellia tree to Wu Sangui's Axiang Garden. Who would have thought that as soon as the camellia tree was set down, a "hua" sound was heard, and all the leaves of the camellia tree fell off. Wu Sangui was furious and blamed the county magistrate for not protecting it properly along the way. A strategist said: "Being exposed to the sun all the way, this often happens; once planted it can still survive." By spring, the camellia tree had grown a full set of leaves, but simply would not bloom. Wu Sangui lashed the camellia tree with a whip, leaving a scar. The next spring, Wu Sangui brought his many concubines to Axiang Garden to admire the flowers, and saw that the camellia had only a few thin, small flowers. Wu Sangui said angrily: "What kind of world-famous flower is this!" He raised his whip and lashed again, leaving a second scar on the camellia trunk. In the third spring, Wu Sangui saw that the garden was withered, with no flowers blooming at all, and on the camellia tree perched a crow, cawing straight at him. Wu Sangui's anger flared, and he swung his whip at the camellia tree again, and blood seeped from the second scar. Wu Sangui ordered the gardener seized and punished. To save the gardener, the camellia fairy, disregarding her own pain, came into Wu Sangui's dream and sang: Sangui, Sangui, do not stay intoxicated; blame not the flower king, blame your own muddled folly. I am a common woman, seeking no wealth or honor, only wishing to return home and live out my poor years. Wu Sangui raised his precious sword and hacked at the camellia fairy. With a "kacha" sound, the sword struck the nine-dragon chair and cut off a blood-dripping dragon head. The camellia fairy sneered and sang again: Your soul is base and low, your reputation stinks. Betraying your lord for glory, you are no better than foxes and dogs! In vain you build palaces and gardens, staining the throne with blood. Heaven is angry and people resentful; disaster will surely fall. Hearing this, Wu Sangui was scared into a cold sweat, and found a dream-interpreting strategist to ask about good or ill fortune. The strategist said: "The ancients said that fortune is what disaster leans on, and disaster is what fortune hides within. The camellia tree is a lowly species; entering the palace brings disaster, leaving the palace brings fortune. Better to demote it back to its original home, to escape disaster and obtain fortune." Wu Sangui thought this reasonable, and so sent the camellia tree back to Luliang.
When the camellia tree returned to the village, men, women, old and young all came out to welcome it. Everyone touched the whip scars on the trunk, mixed feelings of sorrow and joy, and shed excited tears. That night, the villagers had the same dream: the camellia fairy said to everyone: "In fighting the enemy, be patient and be tenacious. Though I am covered with scars, I have finally returned; I am the victor." From then on, in Yunnan camellia has been called the flower of victory, and when the camellia blooms, it always displays people's joy in the victory of struggle.
Related poetry and prose: Camellia at Shaobo Fanxing Temple
(Song) Su Shi
Facing the camellia, who planted it, I wonder; in fine rain with no one else, I come alone.
I tell it to you, but you do not understand; brilliantly red as fire, it blooms in the snow.
Camellia
(Southern Song) Lu You
In the East Garden, three days of rain and wind; peach and plum blossoms drift down and are swept empty from the ground.
Only the camellia is especially long-lasting; in the green thicket it puts forth several red branches again.
Camellia
(Tang, Five Dynasties) Guan Xiu
Carved by wind and dyed by sun, it blooms in the immortal garden; among a hundred flowers whose colors have died, its orangutan-blood red stands apart.
Today one blossom has fallen before the steps; there must be someone looking on who resents Sun Xiu.
Kaiyuan Temple formerly had no flowers; this year they bloomed abundantly
(Song) Su Shi
Beneath the ever-burning lamp and the stone railing, it long keeps the year-end cold together with pines and firs.
Its leaves are thick and angular, sturdy as rhinoceros armor; its flowers are deep-colored and modest in form, red like a crane's head.
Long has it accompanied the abbot's mandala rain; ashamed, it faces the master's alfalfa plate.
Blooming so fully, I know it has intention; after it opens next year, who will watch it again?
White Camellia
(Ming) Shen Zhou
Rhinoceros-armor leaves brave the cold, layered in blue-green; where the jade cup is held up, the dew is rich.
When could I borrow a cup of long-life spring wine? I fear only the camellia fairy would not allow it.
Camellia
(Qing) Liu Hao
Braving the cold, it rivals the elegance of pine and bamboo; putting forth brilliance, it startles in vain that the years are no more.
Through the confusion of ice and snow its true nature remains; its roots and trunk are old and large, rare in ordinary gardens.
November Camellia
(Tang) Bai Juyi
As if in heavy makeup emerging from crimson gauze, a trail of light reflects the morning glow.
Sending fragrance and offering brilliance, how much spring it brings, like a truly red, long-lasting flower.
The flower language of camellia
Ideal love - modesty
Type: Theaceae
Place of origin: China
Flower colors: peach red, red, white
Flowering period: late autumn to winter
Alias: Jizhuang
Camellia was named by a German botanist and spread throughout the world.
It always blooms quietly in courtyards when the weather turns slightly cool in late autumn. Unlike the jizhuang, the camellia does not drop its whole flower at once, but rather its petals slowly wither one by one, until life ends. Is not such a careful way of withering just like people's attitude in pursuing an ideal partner? So gradually camellia became the spokesperson for expressing feelings to a woman one admires in one's heart. In winter, when almost all flowers have withered, the red camellia seems especially warm and full of life. Moreover, planted in a courtyard, it can also let people enjoy its faint floral fragrance. Lovable, modest, ideal love, cautious, remarkable charm
Camellia (white): pure and innocent
Camellia (red): naturally beautiful
White camellia (Camellia): reserved
Flower divination: You are a gentle and emotional person, and moreover have a strong willpower. Your heart hides passion, and you long for love; even so, you will not adopt an aggressive attitude in confessing to the other person. After you have identified your target, you will pursue the other person step by step, and then the passion in your heart is slowly drawn out.
Flower motto: Never rush into marriage; wait until love has matured.
Camellia pictures