Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Camellia x williamsii 'Mary Christian'
Mary Christian Camellia
- Family
- Theaceae
- Height
- 8 to 12 ft
- Width
- 8 to 10 ft
- Flower color
- Single, clear rose-pink blooms
- Foliage color
- Evergreen dull dark green leaves
- Bloom time
- Late winter through spring
- Light
- Mostly sun to dappled shade
- Water
- Regular watering
- Maintenance
- Low; occasional light pruning after flowering to shape and thin dead wood
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 7a to 9b
- Wildlife
- Early-season flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other beneficial insects
About this plant
Camellia x williamsii 'Mary Christian' is an evergreen shrub with an upright habit and dull dark green leaves. Along the branches, single rosy-pink flowers open with rounded petals around a small cluster of golden stamens. Blooming from late winter into late spring, it can show buds and open flowers together, giving a long season of color in lightly shaded gardens.
This hybrid of Camellia saluenensis and Camellia japonica was raised at Caerhays Castle in Cornwall, England, by J. C. Williams and introduced in the early 1940s. Its soft pink blooms, dependable flowering, and neat evergreen presence suit woodland borders, mixed shrub plantings, and paths or entrances where the flowers can be viewed at close range.
Works well in
Foundation Plantings · Specimen Plants · Woodland Gardens · Shade Gardens
Companion plants
Sarcococca · Rodgersia · Cyclamen · Fatsia · Lungwort · Primrose
Design tip
A long season of rose-pink flowers makes this camellia useful for linking the late-winter garden with spring. Position it where the color can be seen from several viewpoints, creating a visual anchor that helps connect different areas as the surrounding garden changes through the season.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
