Camellia japonica Il Gioiello

The Camellia japonica Il Gioiello is a variety of compact Camellia with overlapping petals, of a beautiful cherry red finely streaked with white. It is an old variety that will be remarkable in partial shade.

Camellia Il Gioiello, literally "the jewel" in Italian, lives up to its name: it is covered with precious flowers with perfectly overlapping petals from February to April, reminiscent of delicate English porcelain flowers. Its evergreen foliage is composed of rounded and glossy leaves. It has a compact, upright habit and reaches a height of 1.3 m (4 ft) and a width of 70 cm (28 in) in about ten years.

Belonging to the family Theaceae, the Camellia thrives in mild and humid climates and flourishes in coastal regions, while still benefiting from good hardiness (down to -15°C (5 °F)). It is a so-called ericaceous plant that thrives in acidic soil (pH below 7), rich in humus and well-drained. It will tolerate full sun in favourable climates but will give its best in partial shade, protected from scorching sun and sheltered from strong winds.

Plant it out in the garden in a shrub border, alongside other acid-loving shrubs such as Azaleas, Cornus Kousa, or Kalmia Latifolia.