If you like botanical oddities, then the cute Camellia parvilimba is just what you’ve been looking for. This miniature species, is tiny, in terms of flowers, leaves, and overall stature. Camellia parvilimba is the victim of a taxonomic tug of war, with many taxonomists classifying it as simply a tiny form of Camellia euryoides, while others feel that the much shorter stature and leaf size make it deserving of species status. This is a low elevation species from Southern China, usually found below 2,100′. For us, it starts flowering in mid-November, along with Camellia sasanqua. From a distance it resembles a flowering boxwood, so it should be an ideal bonsai specimen, naturally maturing around 4′ tall. Hardiness is at least Zone 8a-9b, and possibly colder.
Your plants in the emails are so wonderful, they refresh me.
When my work took me to Queens in NYC, I loved seeing the Camellias blooming in protected places around houses, in the Winter – and they were big too.