Camellia sasanqua Fuji no Yuki

Camellia 'Fuji-no-Yuki' offers an autumnal spectacle as beautiful as snow falling on Mount Fuji. Its beautiful dark and glossy foliage becomes covered with translucent buds edged with bright pink, which open into double white flowers. It is an evergreen bush with a particularly upright habit, both vigorous and compact. It is hardy and capable of adapting to windy or sunny situations. However, it requires a limestone-free soil. Plant it alone in the garden, in a container or even in a flowering hedge.

'Fuji-no-Yuki' is one of the many hybrids of the species Camellia sasanqua, which belongs to the family of Theaceae. This plant forms a compact bush with a particularly vertical habit. It is rather slow growing, reaching 1 m (3.3 ft) in height and 0.80 m (2.6 ft) wide in 10 years. Its flowering extends from November to December. Fairly round buds appear, each one white and edged with bright pink. These pink hues remain on the undersides of the opened corollas. White, double flowers soon follow, measuring 7 cm to 9 cm (2.7 in to 3.5 in) in diameter and resembling those of gardenias with a very fine texture. They are formed by at least 9 petals around a heart of golden yellow stamens that reveal themselves late. They are not long-lasting, but continually renew themselves on the plant. The dense and evergreen foliage is composed of small shiny dark green leaves, ovate and leathery.

Camellia x sasanqua 'Fuji-no-Yuki', just like its Japanese parent, tolerates the sun and windy situations better than other camellias. It performs better in mild climates than in cold regions, where its hardiness is sometimes lacking, and its flowering destroyed. Wherever winter is not too harsh, it can be planted in isolation in the garden, or combined with other acid-loving plants (for example: Rhododendron, azaleas, Hydrangea, and Hamamelis) in a flowering hedge. Camellia 'Fuji-no-Yuki' deserves a prime spot, at the entrance of the garden or along a path. You can also dress its base with autumn bulbs, such as colchicums or cyclamen. In cold regions, it can be planted in containers on a balcony or terrace. During its flowering period, the pots can be brought inside to a veranda or cold greenhouse. It is also possible to protect your camellia during cold weather by bringing it into your home. However, take care to regularly mist the foliage and water the plant with non-limestone water.