Camellia Elegans Champagne

More Information

(C.japonica), Nuccio’s Nurseries Catalogue, 1977, p.6: Beautiful sport of ‘Elegans Splendor’. White with cream centre petaloids. Sometimes base of petals showing pink. Early to mid-season blooming.

American Camellia Yearbook, 1979, p.105, Reg. No. 1526: A large to very large, white with cream centre petaloids, sometimes base of petals showing pink, anemone form

C.japonica mutant of ‘Elegans Splendor’; originated by Nuccio’s Nurseries, Altadena, California, USA. First observed 1970, size 11.5 cm wide x 5 cm deep with markedly fimbriated leaves and low, spreading growth.

This cultivar received the “Sewell Mutant Award” for 1980 and the “William Hertrich Award” for 1982. For colour photos see: p.83,84, Macoboy, 1981, The Colour Dictionary ofCamellias and on the front cover, SCCS, 1976, The Camellia Review, vol.38, No.2. Chinese synonym: ‘Baitaine’. (White Swan). Note: The use of any latin word form such as “Elegans” for a new cultivar name or part name is barred by the Horticultural Code from 1958 and onwards. Latin is reserved for botanical use only. This applies to ‘Elegans Splendor’, ‘Elegans Supreme’ and ‘Elegans Supreme Variegated’ also, as these four sports were all named after 1958, and they are therefore illegal names acording to the code. However as there is total rejection to a name change by all the National Camellia Societies, they are let stand pro tem.

Reference: International Camellia Register

Use as an Ornamental

Not recommended as a hedge variety, but could be used as an informal screen.

Makes a good feature plant in a garden or as a background shrub.

Like all Camellias if the plant gets old and loses form, prune severely back to a stump 30 – 50cm high. After a few weeks new shoots will appear from the stump and the plant will reform.