shrub
Japanese camellia
Camellia japonica
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Japanese camellia is a slow-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 7–9. It grows 6–12 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide, so plant it 7 ft apart. Give it part sun to part shade and average water. It flowers pink, red and white in January to March. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, the Mountain West and the Great Plains, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Camellia japonica
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 9
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs acidic, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
- Mature size
- 6–12 ft tall × 5–10 ft wide
- Spacing
- 7 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Jan–Mar · pink, red and white
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- classic, cottage
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Camellia is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $35–$60 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Prune lightly right after flowering.
Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Japanese camellia, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'shrub · zones 7–9
- Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope'Abelia × grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'shrub · zones 6–9
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Bee balmMonarda didymaperennial · zones 4–9
- Japanese sedge 'Evergold'Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata'Liriope muscari 'Variegata'perennial · zones 6–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Japanese camellia: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants