Why Aren't My Camelia Trees Flowering?

Flowering camellias offer winter cheer wherever they successfully grow.

Once appreciated only within Asian temple and palace grounds, flowering camellia shrubs--evergreens that sometimes grow as large as trees--now bring color and cheer to cold winter American landscapes. The camellia's modern appeal has as much to do with its ruggedness as its beauty. Typically vigorous and very easy to care for, camellias do have some specific needs. If your camellias aren't blooming, chances are good that one or more of those needs isn't being met.

Bud Drop

If developing flower buds of camellias suddenly fall off or drop, there will be little or no bloom. There are many reasons for bud drop, including sudden freezing temperatures. Sometimes long periods of heat in early autumn will cause bud drop just before winter sets in. Late-blooming varieties may drop flower buds in spring, as temperatures warm. Dramatic fluctuations in soil moisture--almost any ongoing stress--can cause bud drop, as can camellia bud mites.

Cold Sensitivity

Camellia cultivars and flower forms have varying levels of cold tolerance, so if bud drop is due to cold temperatures you may have to start over with hardier varieties--or move plants to a greenhouse. Camellias planted in western or northern exposures will usually tolerate more cold than eastern or southern exposures, so planting location can also be a factor.

Soil Quality

Characteristics of soil greatly influence general camellia health as well as flowering success. Camellias do best in loamy, well-drained, acidic soils with high levels of organic matter, but they do grow in sandy or clay soils with reasonable basic nutrient levels. Ideal soil pH is in the 5.0 to 6.5 range, which encourages optimal uptake of nutrients from soil. Camellias don't thrive in alkaline soils, or those with a pH above 7.0.

Water & Drainage

Camellias need an adequate, consistent water supply to bloom well. But too much water can be disastrous Well-drained soil is critical for camellias, because soggy soil reduces soil oxygen and impairs root respiration, causes carbon dioxide and other gases to accumulate and invites fungi responsible for root rot. A root system damaged by standing water means a camellia can't absorb adequate water--ironically--which causes drought symptoms, reduced nutrient uptake and deficiency symptoms.

Dense Shade

Most camellias do best in partial or filtered shade and some can even thrive in full sun, especially when well established. But none do well in dense shade. Shrubs in deep shade will get spindly and produce few if any flowers. Large camellia shrubs and trees that get overgrown block light to the shrub's interior, which greatly inhibits flowering.

Improper Pruning

Except to remove dead or damaged branches and to limit and direct plant growth, camellias require very little pruning. But when you prune matters considerably. Prune only after blooming, before new vegetation and flower buds develop. If you prune late in the season, you will probably remove all of the following year's flowers.

References

• Alabama Cooperative Extension: The Culture of Camellias, the State Flower of Alabama
• Clemson University Extension: Camellia Diseases & Insect Pests

Resources

• American Camellia Society