How to Root a Camellia

The camellia (Camellia japonica) is a shrub native to China that is a popular landscaping plant in the Southern U.S. It has dark green foliage and grows to 15 feet tall and eight feet wide. The most interesting feature of the camellia shrub is that it blooms during the winter. Depending on the variety, the camellia blooms are deep red, pink, white or a mixture of colors in one bloom. Camellias can live for 100 years or more and prefer deep moist acidic soil. Camellias need protection from hot afternoon sun, extreme cold or excessive shade. A location with high or bright shade is best for growing camellias.

Things You'll Need

• Sterile growing mix
• Rooting hormone for woody plants
• Container with distilled water
• Flower pot with drainage
• Sharp cutting tool
• Mister
• Distilled water

Instructions

1. Take a cutting from the camellia bush after the initial spring growth flush but before the new growth begins to harden. Cut the tip end of a limb with new growth by cutting just under the fourth set of leaves counting down from the end of the branch. Immediately put the cutting in a container holding enough distilled water to cover the cut end of the cutting so it cannot dry out.

2. Prepare the rooting mixture by taking a clean flower pot or container with drain holes in the bottom and filling it with sterile potting mix. Sterile potting mix is a mixture of sphagnum moss, peat moss and vermiculite or perlite. It is not potting soil which can contain fungal spores. Saturate the sterile potting mix with distilled water and let drain.

3. Take the cutting and make another cut just below the third set of leaves counting down from the top of the cutting. Pull off the third set of leaves with your hand using a quick downward motion so you can expose the inside of the cutting to the rooting hormone.

4. Dip the cut end into the powdered rooting hormone for woody plants. Be sure that the cut end is covered with the rooting hormone powder as well as the leaf nodes where you previously removed the leaves.

5. Push a small hole about 2 inches deep in the wet sterile potting mix with your finger and stick the cut end of the cutting into the hole. Be sure that the cut end and the leaf nodes covered with rooting hormone are covered with potting mix. Use your fingers to close the potting mix around the cutting so it remains upright. Place the planted cutting in a warm (70 to 85 degree F) area with bright light but not direct sunlight. Mist the cutting every other day to keep the potting mix moist but not wet. Don't allow the surface of the potting mix to dry out. The camellia cutting should root in about 6 to 8 weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Powdered rooting hormone for woody plants is often called rooting hormone mix number two.

References

• University of Florida: Camellias in Florida
• Virginia Camellia Society: Propagating Camellias By Cuttings & Seed.