How to Prune Camellia Plants

Camellias typically need very little pruning

Native to Southeast Asia, the camellia symbolizes aristocracy and elegance. There are more than 200 species and 2,300 named cultivators of camellias throughout southern China and the United States. Camellias grow best in full sun, in well-drained acidic soils with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Most camellias are hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Light pruning is required for camellias, unless they have been neglected, in which case you will need to heavily prune the camellia over a three-year period. Pruning is primarily used to improve airflow, remove dead and diseased wood, and shape the plant.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Sterilize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol. Sterilization prevents spread of disease from plant to plant. Pruning should be done after blooming but before the formation of new flower and vegetative buds begins. This reduces the stress on the plant and allows it to heal so the next year’s blooms are not affected.

2. Identify the health of your camellia. Unhealthy camellias will require more pruning to stimulate their growth than healthy camellias.

3. Determine the size and shape you desire for your camellia. Camellias can be trained into hedges, trees or small shrubs. Neglected or overgrown camellias may need to be pruned for three consecutive years.

4. Remove all dead, diseased and damaged branches first. Do not mulch or compost these branches, which could spread disease to other plants. Instead, let your local waste disposal service pick them up.

5. Prune internal branches, particularly those that cross or rub against each other, to improve airflow. Thin out the twiggy growth so the sun reaches the inside branches and leaves on the shrub.

6. Remove all unattractive or drooping branches. You can also cut back the stems if you want your camellia to be bushier the next year, but cut back only one-third of the old wood in each pruning.

Tips & Warnings

• Determine a primary stem and cut back all lower branches if you want your camellia to be trained into a tree. Use sharp tools when pruning to minimize the damage. Neither pruning sealant nor pruning paint is necessary for camellias.

• Do not convert an overgrown camellia into a small shrub in one year. Take three years to shape it. If you have an unhealthy or neglected and overgrown camellia, remove no more than one-half of the growth in a single annual pruning.

References

• American Camellia Society: Pruning Camellias
• Oregon State University Extension Service: Spruce up Older Camelias With a Late Spring Trim
• Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities: Alabama Cooperative Extension System: The Culture of Camellias
• Clemson University: Camellia Disease & Insect Pests
• University of California Cooperative Extension: Camellias