Colours:  vary from pure white through pale and rich pinks to red. Most shades of pink are pretty pure, but there are some salmon-orange pinks and others have a slightly mauve tint. Reds vary from a fairly matt to bright not-quite-scarlet and some of the rich crimsons can appear nearly black on the edges.

There are one or two lilac-purple varieties. Petals may also be striped or blotched with a darker or lighter shade; every flower is differently marked and some will be almost entirely either the darker or lighter shade, making it look like 2 different varieties on the same bush.

Stamens:  are always yellow and make an excellent contrast, especially in the single reds. In many species and varieties they all grow forward (like toothbrush bristles); in others, especially Sasanquas and Higos, they are more open and splayed out. They may also have partly or completely converted to petals; these are called petaloid stamens.

Sports:  It is not uncommon for a plant to produce a sport, ie a branch with flowers of a different colour. Sometimes, a completely new variety is produced by taking cuttings from that branch.

Some varieties are famous for producing sports. The rich-pink Elegans produced at least 6 named sports, including the pale pink sport called C.M.Wilson, which in turn produced a pure white sport which was named Shiro Chan , a Japanese name appropriately meaning White Child.

Single:  One circle of 5-8 petals and lots of stamens.

Semi-double:  2 or more circles of petals and lots of stamens



Anemone-form:  Circle of petals and a central mass of petaloid stamens, like a carnation or anemone.

Peony-form = informal double:  Rounded flower with lots of petals, often with stamens mixed among them.



Rose-form double:  Lots of overlapping petals carefully laid out, opening to show stamens in the middle.

Formal double:  Flat flower with lots of overlapping petals, carefully arranged, getting smaller towards the centre.

Sponsored by the Camellia Grove Nursery U.K. Sponsored by the Camellia Grove Nursery U.K.