Desire Camellia

Camellia japonica ‘Desire’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-10a Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Species: Japonica (Winter, Spring blooming)

Height at Maturity: 8-10′ depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 8-10′ depending on pruning

Spacing: 6 to 7′ for solid hedge; 14’+ for space between plants

Flower Color: White, Soft Pink, Deep Pink

Flower Size: 3-4″

Flowering Period: Late Winter, Early Spring

Flower Type: Formal Double / Peony

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun, All Day Filtered Sun

Water Needs: Average, Lower when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.5 (Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity

Intolerances: Direct Afternoon Sun, Constantly Soggy Soil

Description

One of the most incredibly beautiful and glorious Camellia japonica in our late winter and spring garden, Desire produces an abundance of large, 4 inch diameter formal double flowers with a whopping 60-petals that are a glowing white at the center of the flower and fade to soft pink delicately “airbrushed” in deep pink to almost red around the edges. A vigorous uptight grower with deep green glossy leaves that are the perfect background to display the magnificent flowers in all their glory. A must for Camellia enthusiasts! To enjoy the flowers indoors display several cuttings in vase or float just one in a bowl of water.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 8 to 10 feet tall and wide, the Desire Camellia can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. As a shrub it is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as a hedge or background plant in landscape borders and is especially nice as a corner plant or espalier (trained to grow flat against a wall) in home foundation plantings. As your camellia plant grows taller, lower branches can be removed to form a small tree that serves well as an attractive and colorful specimen in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. A fine selection for camellia gardens, pink or white theme gardens, cottage gardens, cut flower gardens and woodland borders. Also suitable for containers that can be brought indoors during winter by those who garden above USDA Zone 7a, where this camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy. Find Your Zone

Spacing: 6 to 7 feet apart for solid hedge; 14 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Camellia adapt well to various soil types preferring a moist but well-drained acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. Constantly soggy or wet soil is a slow killer. In general, Camellia grows and blooms better in partial shade with some shelter from the hot afternoon sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sunlight is perfect. All-day filtered sun is fine.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Camellias.

Planting Camellias
Pruning Camellias
How To Fertilize & Water Camellias
How To Espalier Plants & Trees

*Espalier (pronounced: ih-spal-yay) …an ornamental shrub or tree that has been trained to grow flat against a wall, fence, or other vertical, flat surface.

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us

Well taken care of and delivered well packaged. Just as described as well.—————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Hey guys,
Order came and looks great. Thanks so very much for shipping UPS this time. It’s appreciated!——————————————————————Thanks so much for your review. Let us know if there’s ever anything we can help you with. 🙂 – Beth | WBG

I have around 30 Camellias in my yard but wanted some different varieties that I found in the Wilson Bros inventory. I wondered how plants would do in the mail. The plant arrived early, in just a couple of days. The weather in the south was mild that week (January) so it wasn’t exposed to any extremes. It was surprisingly well packaged. The leaves were luxuriantly green and the roots were healthy and plentiful. I planted it two weeks ago and it is flourishing so far. There were no buds on the plant so I won’t see how the blooms look until next year. I can’t wait. Very satisfied.————————————————So glad we had what you were looking for….thanks for the great review! Beth|WBG

I was a little worried about ordering plants online but they arrived in perfect condition. They were packed beautifully! I’ve had them planted for a few weeks now and I can’t wait for them to start blooming!——————————————Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG

This was my second order from Wilson Bros. and I am very impressed by the size and quality of the plants. The Camilla Desire has good foliage and lots of buds. I am looking forward to enjoying the blooms. This is the first time I will be planting a camellia. Hope it does well, because I have an eye on several others I would like to have in my garden.——————————————————————–Hi Holly, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Desire Camellia Japonica. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review and your repeat business!! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Nice tall plant. Looks great. Just wish it had buds.—————————————————–Hi Wanda, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Desire Camellia Japonica. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Maybe it will get some buds for you, it doesn’t bloom until Late Winter/Early Spring, and we are mid Winter now. But it may be next year, being in a one gallon size pot, it may not be mature enough yet. 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

My ‘High Fragrance’ and ‘Desire’ camellias arrived and exceeded ALL my expectations. They were well packaged, and healthy as all-get-out … in fact, both were sporting some new growth, and never slowed down for a second! They look quite happy in their new surroundings, and I intend to do everything in my power to keep it that way! Can’t wait to see their blooms next winter!
I’ll be ordering from Wilson Bros. again … and again … and (undoubtedly) again!
Keep on doing things just the way you do now. Very, very pleased!————————————–WBG Reply: Hi Sylvia, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Desire Camellia. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks so much for the kind words!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

The plant was well packaged and came looking very healthy. No issues whatsoever and I would order from them again.————————–WBG Reply: Hi Curtis, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Desire Camellia Japonica. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens