Camellia 'SPRING FESTIVAL' hardy camellia

Spring Festival is a fascinating hardy camellia cultivar that we have come to appreciate above all for its reliability. It elevates any evergreen planting scheme without requiring constant concern about frost hardiness. This is a spring‑flowering variety that produces an abundance of small, semi‑double to fully double, medium‑pink flowers from late March through May. And it does not rest once flowering is over. As soon as the last petals fall, new shoots emerge with striking copper‑red young leaves. These evergreen leaves are leathery, narrowly ovate, and noticeably smaller than those of Japanese camellias – yet exceptionally beautiful.

As if that were not enough, Spring Festival offers another feature that proves valuable in many situations: a strictly upright, almost columnar growth habit. Can you imagine it as a hedge? Avant‑garde, dramatic, and luxurious. When in bloom, it will flood your Instagram feed with so many photos that your friends may start to resent you 😊 It grows densely and branches well even without pruning. Should pruning be necessary, it is best done as soon as flowering has finished.

Spring Festival originated in California as a selection from an open‑pollinated plant of Camellia cuspidata. The mother plant grew in the collection of Toichi Domoto in Hayward, surrounded by other camellia species that contributed pollen carrying new genetic information. The first flowers appeared on the seedling around 1970, and its exceptional qualities convinced Domoto that he had something worthy of registration. This was accomplished in 1976 by Yves Chapel, who formally described the plant and introduced it to the market. Because this was not a controlled hybridization, the exact pollen parentage can only be inferred from the combination of traits the plant displays: the C. × williamsii group, with C. japonica contributing strong branches and an upright habit; C. saluenensis providing bronze‑colored new growth and a lighter leaf texture; and C. cuspidata adding what matters most – significantly enhanced frost hardiness, early flowering without spring bud damage, and occasional sporadic flowering even at the beginning of winter.

Location

Camellias in the wild thrive best in partial shade, where they enjoy a stable microclimate without major temperature or humidity swings. They most often grow beneath tall-canopied trees that provide filtered light, shelter from wind, and consistent moisture. Spring Festival, however, is different — it handles winter sun and the typical frosts of zone 6 remarkably well, so it doesn’t require a strictly protected site.

Camellias must be planted carefully; once established, they require surprisingly little maintenance. They prefer loose, humus‑rich, acidic soil that drains well yet does not dry out completely. A heath‑type bed with even moisture and a layer of mulch bark (5–10 cm) is ideal. They do not tolerate waterlogging or heavy clay soils, although clay in the deeper layers of the soil profile is not a problem. Planting holes should be relatively shallow, with the sides backfilled using a mixture of high‑quality substrate and sieved native soil in a 1:1 ratio. We strongly recommend the use of mycorrhizal fungi for acid‑loving plants – specifically ericoid mycorrhiza, which associates with the fine roots of heathland shrubs. In heavy soils, raising the planting area is advisable. Camellias dislike transplanting, so choose the location carefully. Until they are fully established (2–3 years), water them even in winter whenever temperatures are above freezing and the soil is not frozen. Fertilization is important at least after flowering and may be continued regularly until late summer, though it is not strictly necessary. Recommended frost hardiness is approximately −20 to −23 °C (USDA zone 6).

Last update 23-02-2018; 07-01-2026