Tea-Oil Plant, Tea Oil Camellia
Camellia oleifera
Family: Theaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Early winter, Late fall, Late winter, Mid fall, Mid winter. Form: Rounded, Vase.
Camellia oleifera is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from October to April, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 4
Where it is found
Forests, thickets, banks of streams and foothills at elevations of 500 - 1300 metres.
E. Asia - China
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
An oil obtained from the seed is used in cooking.
Oil: Oil
Medicine
Rating: 2
The seed oil is used in the treatment of ringworm.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Other
Rating: 2
A non-drying oil is obtained from the seed - used in textile manufacture, soap making and as an illuminant. The oil consists mainly of olein. It is not subject to polymerize or oxidize, nor does it form solids at low temperatures. A grey dye is obtained from the pink or red petals. The seed cake has insecticidal activity.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Standard, Specimen. Prefers a woodland soil but thrives in a warm open well-drained loam if leafmould is added. A calcifuge plant, preferring a pH between 5 and 7. Prefers the partial shade of a light woodland. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. It succeeds on a wall at Kew and outdoors in milder areas. Prefers a wet summer and a cool but not very frosty dry winter. Plants are not very self-compatible, self-fertilized flowers produce few seeds and these are of low viability. This species has been cultivated for many centuries in China for the oil in its seed. A very ornamental plant, some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value. This species is closely related to C. sasanqua. Special Features:Not North American native, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and the hard covering around the micropyle should be filed down to leave a thin covering. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 23°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall and give them some protection from winter cold for their first year or three outdoors. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, August/September in a shaded frame. High percentage but slow. Cuttings of firm wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, end of June in a frame. Keep in a cool greenhouse for the first year. Leaf-bud cuttings, July/August in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist