Plant of the week - March 29, 2024

Camellia x williamsii ‘Night Rider’

Camellia x williamsii ‘Night Rider’

I first saw this camellia in bloom at Western Hills Rare Plant Nursery (now Western Hills Garden) in Occidental, CA. The very dark flower color was something I had not seen before, and I immediately added this to my plant wish list. Apparently, this is not the easiest plant to grow in containers making these a bit harder to obtain. I finally acquired some plants from Nuccio’s Nursery (Welcome to Nuccio's Nurseries (nucciosnurseries.com) in southern California. One of these plants is planted in our garden and blooms ever year about this time and is one of the most asked about plants in our garden.

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Plant type: Shrub.

Plant size: 4’ wide to 6’ tall in 8 - 10 years.

Growing conditions: Drought tolerant once established, faster growth with additional summer water.

Sun exposure: Part Shade to Shade

USDA Hardiness: 0 - 5 F

Foliage: Red new growth fading to dark green

Flowers: Deep black cherry red

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We have a few available in 2 gallon pots.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Night Rider’