One of the Best Early Spring Bloomers As one of the earliest blooming trees in the spring, the ShiShi Gashira Camellia shrub is such a beautiful sight! Beginning in late fall to early spring, the Shi shi Camellia’s flower blossoms will open up to reveal their majestic colors. With hot pink flower blooms that have a golden yellow center and glossy evergreen foliage to contrast the blossoms, and stay dark green all year long, what is not to love. The Shishi plant’s showy flower buds will remain blooming for a month or two and also make attractive cut flowers for vases. They are 2-3 inches in length and have been a pretty popular sasanqua camellia variety because of the long bloom times. The dwarf Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishi Gashira’ looks amazing planted as an evergreen shrub hedge, small specimen tree, or in a woodland garden along a wall or fence where the dark pink double flowers can be enjoyed. DWARF SHISHI CAMELLIA CARE Grow these flowering shrubs across the United States in USDA hardiness zones 7-10. With little maintenance needed to keep it thriving, it is adaptable to a wide range of soil sites as long as it’s in full sun to part shade with well draining soil. A planting spot with filtered sunlight is best especially if you are in an area with hot summers. Camellia trees are acid loving plants and love to have soil pH below 7. To make your soil more acidic, you can add peat moss, used coffee grounds, or other acidifying substances. We also specially formulate our very own Acidic Soil Potting Mix you can purchase. The mature size is up to 4-5 feet tall with a 6-8 foot spread. The Shi Shi Camellia growth rate is moderate making it perfect for smaller gardens or under larger shade trees. To make a Shishi Gashira Camellia hedge, space the shrubs at least 3-4 feet apart to provide room for each plant to grow while allowing them to fill in a create privacy for your landscape. Apply a slow release fertilizer at the root ball in the early spring to help boost growth and flower production. Prune the tree as desired to maintain shape and size. Newly planted camellia plants will need a regular watering schedule until the root system is established. Once established, the tree is drought tolerant. Mulching the plant with a 2 inch layer of organic material such as pine bark or compost will help retain moisture. Growing camellias is easy and rewarding! It pays off to see those gorgeous blooms during a time of the year when many other plants are dormant. Camellia japonica are long living plants and will provide your garden with colors for many years. Shop the Shishi Gashira Camellia for sale and visit our Camellia Pruning Guide!
