Practical
Plants

Camellia pitardii

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
7 m
Fertility
Self fertile, 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[5].

Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China.
Habitat
Forests and thickets, on slopes and by rivers, 1000 - 2800 metres in Yunnan[6][8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
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[3]. 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[9][3][4]. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 23°c[4]. 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[9]. Cuttings of firm wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, end of June in a frame[2][9]. Keep in a cool greenhouse for the first year[2]. 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][2][7]. A calcifuge pant, preferring a pH between 5 and 7[2][7]. Prefers the partial shade of a light woodland[7]. Prefers a wet summer and a cool but not very frosty dry winter[7]. Plants are not very self-compatible, self-fertilized flowers produce few seeds and these are of low viability[7]. This species is closely related to C. reticulata[2]. This plant is sometimes cultivated in Asia for the edible oil in its seed.

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  3. 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

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Kunming Inst. of Botany. Yunnan Camellias of China.

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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