Camellia x 'Elina'

Camellia x 'Elina' is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with very small leaves, pink flower buds opening to small white, tinted pink flowers in spring.  Camellia x 'Elina' is among our most requested plants when people drive along our entrance and see our plants in bloom.  Camellia x 'Elina' is most likely a Camellia tsaii hybrid with very small leaves and a beautiful mounding/cascading habit.  In early spring, Camellia x 'Elina' is covered with very small pink flower buds opening to 1/2" white flowers with a pink tinged reverse.  Camellia x 'Elina' is a "cluster flowering" camellia and typically produces multiple buds at every leaf node.  A 3-4' plant will have literally thousands of flowers each year.  We had a customer that ONLY liked double, large flowering red camellias and she hated single, white flowered camellias. I asked her if I could show her some cool plants (I didn't tell her they were camellias) and showed her 'Elina' and also Camellia minutiflora.  Both have tiny, single white flowers.  She instantly fell in love with these wonderful white, spring flowering shrubs and wanted to know what they were.  She was a bit embarrassed when she was told they were camellias and she decided she liked them more than the big red, double flowers she thought she really liked!  And yes, she bought both of the small, white flowering camellias!  Most people would not recognize Camellia x 'Elina' (or other very small leaved, small flowering camellia species) as a camellia and most fall in love with them instantly.  We can't say enough good things about the small flowering species and hybrids and we will be offering a wide range of these in the next few years!  Camellia x 'Elina' is great in mass plantings or stunning as a specimen.  

• HARDINESS:  zones 7-9
• EXPOSURE:  part shade to sun
• SIZE:   3-6' spreading/weeping 
• SHIPPING SIZE:  1/2 gallon pot.  20" plant.  See last photo for example.