Jack Camellia

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

4-6 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

7 to 9

Jack's Camellia brings luminous pink color to bright shade, just when the garden needs it most. Semi-double blooms open from late winter into early spring, glowing against a backdrop of glossy, evergreen foliage. Refined form and reliable performance make it a natural fit for foundations, borders, and porch containers.

Use it as a focal shrub by the entry, a clipped hedge along a path, or a statement container where you can admire the flowers up close. Its shade tolerance and tidy habit simplify design in tricky low-light areas without sacrificing year-round structure.

Jack's Camellia Care

Provide partial sun to bright, dappled light with 3–5 hours of gentle morning sun and afternoon shade. Plant in slightly acidic, well-drained soil (pH 5.5–6.5) amended with pine bark or leaf mold; avoid waterlogged or highly alkaline spots. Water when the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry, keeping moisture even during bud set and bloom. Mulch 2–3 inches with shredded bark or pine needles, pulling mulch a few inches back from the stem.

Feed right after flowering with a granular fertilizer for acid-loving plants; make a light midsummer application only if growth is slow, and stop feeding 6–8 weeks before first frost. Prune immediately after bloom to shape and thin, as next year’s buds form in late spring to summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 7–9; shelter from drying winter winds. For containers, use an acid-lover potting mix in a pot with excellent drainage and protect the root zone from hard freezes.

Jack's Camellia Spacing

For a specimen, allow 6–8 ft of space in all directions. For a hedge or screen, plant 3–4 ft on center and shear lightly after bloom to knit plants together. Keep 24–36 in from walls, paths, and steps for airflow and natural spread. In containers, start with a 16–20 in diameter pot (7–10 gal) and upsize to 18–22 in (12–15 gal) as it matures. Place containers 2–3 ft from an east- or north-facing wall for bright, gentle light. To train as a small tree, select a central leader and stake lightly for the first 1–2 years.

Why Grow Jack's Camellia?

• Showy, semi-double pink blooms that brighten late winter through early spring
• Glossy, evergreen foliage that keeps beds looking finished all year
• Thrives in partial shade and slightly acidic, well-drained soils
• Versatile habit for hedges, specimen planting, or patio containers
• Responds well to post-bloom pruning for neat, tailored shapes

If your plant is grafted, remove any shoots emerging below the graft to maintain the named variety. Inspect leaf undersides for tea scale in late winter and treat with horticultural oil if needed.

Add Jack's Camellia to your space for elegant winter-to-spring flowers and dependable evergreen polish. It’s a timeless, low-fuss focal point that elevates bright shade in every season.