Is this a Camellia

[DinaJean]

My thoughts are a camellia....someone elses thoughts are a sis...something....a cousin to the camellia. Any ideas? The bark is smooth, gray, and it is actually in tree form, about 15 feet tall, though it may have been a bush at one time because we now have this piece of property that has been unattended to for many many years.

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[Newt]

Looks like a camellia to me.* Some bloom in spring and some late summer to early winter.* Mine usually bloom between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Maybe the 'sis' part you are referring to is one species named Camellia sinensis.

Newt

[DinaJean]

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How would you go about hard-pruning this? I actually have two on either side of the porch, and they are tall and gangly, although they do produce a whole lot of blooms. Is there a way, maybe over a 2-year period to prune them back down to become less of a tree and more of a bush or even a short full tree?

[Newt]

Since mine bloom so late in the season I usually prune in spring.* They were here when I moved in 19 years ago and were only about 4 feet tall.* They are over 8 feet now with pruning.* This site has some helpful info about culture and pruning.* See if it helps.
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B813-w.htm

Newt

[DinaJean]

Maybe the 'sis' part you are referring to is one species named Camellia sinensis.

Newt


Found it on Arbor Day web site....it is a Camellia Sasanqua.

[DinaJean]

I have ID'd this as a Camellia Sasanqua....hmmm... the picture is gone....

Anyways, I have two. One on either side of the porch of the house that is going to be torn down eventually. They are so neglected and overgrown, I was wondering if anyone could give me any suggestions on how to prune them in a way to get them back to a smaller, or if not smaller, at least more desirable shape?

They are still blooming, or at least they were the last time I was here in the fall, which was 2005. So I dont know about last year...but I was also going to ask : It seems as though there are buds forming, but I also see all the old dried flowers still on the tree. Will that hinder the blooms in the fall? Is it too late to deadead them now?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[DinaJean]

Newt, by the way I did read that link to Camellias and I just dont know about pruning THAT HARD....Isn't that along the same lines as "Crape Murder" which, unfortunately I have done :X...I dont want to keep making mistakes on these old trees.

[Newt]

Gosh, I can't stand the way this site is structured!* It is not Netscape friendly.* I typed a long response and the file for the picture I was attaching was too big.* I did a preview and then lost it all when it said I had to go back!* Dang!* :(* I'm going to have to copy this so I don't risk losing it again.* I'm not that much of a computer whiz.

If you are going to tear down the house you will need to move these.* Do add lots of compost to the planting bed when you transplant them.* It will make them happy.

The one on the right almost doesn't look worth saving, but it's worth a try, especially if you like the flowers.* I'd say to either prune the crown by half and see what happens or hard prune.* If you prune it now you will prune off the flower buds as it sets them in late spring.* Unlike the crapes, these shrubs don't sucker or put out an abundance of branches when hard pruned.* That's why I'm including some pictures.* These were planted in 1979 by the original owner from one gallon pots.* About 20 years ago when they were about 8, the previous owner hard pruned the two on the right. I think it was because of snow that came off the roof above that crushed them.* I had that happen one year too.* Anyway, you can see they aren't quite as full as the two on the left.* These pics were taken about 3 years ago.* They're a little fuller now with careful pruning to make them fill in.

When will the house be torn down?

Those are flower buds you see.* I've had mine hold their spent blooms for the winter, sometimes looking pathetic.* It seems to happen if we get a hard frost when they're in bloom.* I usually don't do anything as they're too big.* If you remove the spent flowers be very careful not to disturb the forming buds.

I'm including another site for you to look through that has quite a bit of info too.* I think one of these sites, either the other I gave you or this one, has info on the spent flowers holding on.
http://www.camforest.com/camellia.htm

I hope this works,
Newt

[Newt]

Here's the flower and a bud.* You can also see some rust happening to one of the leaves on the right.

Newt

[DinaJean]

Beautiful pictures. Thats the look I would want with my Camellias. I dont like the tall lanky way they are now. The house will be torn down a piece at a time over the next several years. No heavy equipment until after then, so I have time to do what I have to do. A third*per year will work as long as I think the outcome is something I would want. How fast do they grow if I had to or decided to replace them? I really do like the flowers alot and the fact that it is an evergreen. I am not necessarily attached to these*2 particular trees.. I just have ....how do I say...a respect for the elderly sort of thing. Growing up I never had BIG trees and I just really hate to get rid of any tree that may be older than I.

Its such a shame, this property is so beautiful but was SO NEGLECTED since 1988. We met CD Pilgrim..his grandpa established this place in the 1900's....and his GRandma was flower crazy, trading plants with people all over the place. Then when they passed away, CD's wifes sister, Ethel lived there as an old maid. She was married to the garden...according to CD, she had plants and flowers EVERYWHERE. She passed away in 88...and it went out of the family and through several owners, then it sat for a couple years before we came along. It really is a shame because the house is just not worth fixing up...but the LAND itself has POTENTIAL...I can feel it and see it, it is just going to take alot of time and alot of hard work. I'm not afraid, just a little impatient.