Practical
Plants

Camellia oleifera

Tea-Oil Plant

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Camellia genus in the family Theaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Theaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
4 m
Spread
1.5 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An oil obtained from the seed is used in cooking[10][3][2].

Product or use
Oil

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed oil is used in the treatment of ringworm[12].

Product or use
Anthelmintic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A non-drying oil is obtained from the seed - used in textile manufacture, soap making and as an illuminant[1][3][6][9]. The oil consists mainly of olein. It is not subject to polymerize or oxidize, nor does it form solids at low temperatures[8]. A grey dye is obtained from the pink or red petals[7]. The seed cake has insecticidal activity[12].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Insecticide
Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China
Habitat
Forests, thickets, banks of streams and foothills at elevations of 500 - 1300 metres[2][14].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[4]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and the hard covering around the micropyle should be filed down to leave a thin covering[15][4][5]. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 23°c[5]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall and give them some protection from winter cold for their first year or three outdoors[K]. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, August/September in a shaded frame. High percentage but slow[15]. Cuttings of firm wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, end of June in a frame[3][15]. Keep in a cool greenhouse for the first year[3]. Leaf-bud cuttings, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a woodland soil but thrives in a warm open well-drained loam if leafmould is added[1][3][11]. A calcifuge plant, preferring a pH between 5 and 7[3][11]. Prefers the partial shade of a light woodland[11]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[11]. It succeeds on a wall at Kew and outdoors in milder areas[3]. Prefers a wet summer and a cool but not very frosty dry winter[11]. Plants are not very self-compatible, self-fertilized flowers produce few seeds and these are of low viability[11]. This species has been cultivated for many centuries in China for the oil in its seed[2][13]. A very ornamental plant, some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value. This species is closely related to C. sasanqua[3].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  5. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩

  7. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  8. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩

  9. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩

  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  12. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  13. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

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  14. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  15. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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