Diseased Camellia Japonica - Ask Extension
Hello, can you tell me what's going on with my camellia japonica and how I can treat it? Could this spread to nearby plants? Many thanks!
Knowledgebase
Diseased Camellia Japonica #781815
Asked February 13, 2022, 5:56 PM EST
Hello, can you tell me what's going on with my camellia japonica and how I can treat it? Could this spread to nearby plants? Many thanks!
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
Your camellia looks very unhappy but we can't tell from your photos exactly what is going on right now.
There could be multiple issues going on.
First off, was this recently planted?
Do you know the name of the cultivar/variety? Not all camellias are winter hardy enough to grow well here, and even if they are, they need to be carefully sited in the landscape and carefully watered and cared for for the first couple of years. It should also be mulched (no more than 3" deep and pulled away from the trunk.
At this point you will likely need to wait until spring to see if it is able to push out fresh new leaves.
We don't think you have to worry about it affecting your other plants though. If it were a disease it would tend to be specific to that plant.
Christine
There could be multiple issues going on.
First off, was this recently planted?
Do you know the name of the cultivar/variety? Not all camellias are winter hardy enough to grow well here, and even if they are, they need to be carefully sited in the landscape and carefully watered and cared for for the first couple of years. It should also be mulched (no more than 3" deep and pulled away from the trunk.
At this point you will likely need to wait until spring to see if it is able to push out fresh new leaves.
We don't think you have to worry about it affecting your other plants though. If it were a disease it would tend to be specific to that plant.
Christine
