Camellia Lady Clare

Camellia Lady Clare (Camellia japonica ‘Lady Clare’) is a large, fast-growing evergreen camellia shrub with an upright spreading habit and glossy deep green foliage that remains vibrant year-round. This elegant camellia produces huge semi-double deep pink flowers with ruffled petals and prominent yellow stamens, creating a stunning display in the garden.

Blooming from late winter into spring, Camellia Lady Clare adds bright color when many other plants are still dormant and is known for attracting butterflies to the landscape. Its dramatic blooms and lush evergreen foliage make it an ideal choice as a specimen plant, foundation shrub, or focal point in mixed borders.

For best performance, plant Camellia Lady Clare in partial sun with acidic, well-drained soil. Once established, this camellia is drought tolerant, making it a resilient and low-maintenance addition to any garden.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Medium maintenance. Too much water retention can increase susceptibility to fungal diseases, including root rot, black mold, blight, canker, anthracnose, and leaf spots.  Watch for aphids and spider mites.   Yellowing leaves indicate acidity too low. Fertilize monthly in spring and summer. If desired, remove all but one bud from each cluster to increase the size of the flower. Prune immediately after flowering.

LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Wildlife Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Screening, Foundation Plantings, Hedges, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Honeysuckle, Japanese Painted Fern, Lungwort

IMAGES: Photoset by 阿橋 HQ, (1) 山茶花 Camellia japonica cultivars 1 [昆明金殿植物園 Kunming YuanLin Botanic Gardens, China, (2) 山茶花 Camellia japonica [南韓麗水梧桐島 Odongdo, South Korea], (3) juantiagues, Camelia0099 (4108720964), CC BY-SA 2.0, (4) Jörg Blobelt, 20130421120DR Zuschendorf (Pirna) Schloßpark Kamelien, CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.