Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme

Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme is an evergreen camellia with dark red blooms that have a variety of white splashes. It’s an eye-catching shrub that flowers in April and is excellent in shady mixed borders and suitable for plant pots and containers.

Camellia Japonica are native to Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea. They were introduced to Europe in the 1700s and have been recorded on Chinese ceramics since the 11^th century. Camelia are very popular evergreens and there are thousands of varieties to suit colour preferences and size.

The cultivar Camellia Dixie Knight Supreme is a variegated variety of the popular dark red Dixie Knight that was bred by Wheelers’ Nurseries in Georgia in the 1960s. Dixie Knight Supreme keeps all of the original attributes and adds a flash of white to the large 10-13 cms deep red petals. The amount of white varies from plant to plant, so it’s instantly recognisable but you always have an original.

The blooms are peony-shaped and ruffled emerging in April on its evergreen branches. New pale green foliage appears with the flowers and matures to deep green over the summer to match its established leaves.

Camellia Dixie Knight Supreme is an excellent choice for lovers of unusual flower colours and low maintenance gardens.

Height And Spread of Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme 
Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme will reach a maximum height and spread of 4 metres over 10-20 years.

How Hardy Is Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme 
This evergreen camellia is very hardy down to minus temperatures if its roots are well-drained but late frosts may damage its buds if they aren’t covered with fleece.

How To Use Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme 
Camellia Dixie Knight Supreme is an unusual addition to country cottage style gardens with its pretty flowers but it also suits an urban new build as a focal point.

Camellias enjoy a container that’s well fed and watered and Dixie Knight Supreme does an excellent job of brightening a patio, deck, or sheltered balcony throughout the year.

Japanese style gardens, rock gardens and gravel gardens also benefit from this easy to grow striking camellia that’s stood the test of time since 1961.

How To Care For Camellia Japonica Dixie Knight Supreme 
Camellia Japonica are originally woodland plants that grow in shade, so it’s best planted in a shaded to semi-shaded spot. Camellias need acidic soil conditions to thrive and will quickly turn chlorotic on chalk, so use plenty of pine or bracken-based compost in the planting hole and around the roots as mulch.

If you have alkaline ground use a plant pot or container filled with ericaceous compost., but be sure to water and feed it regularly and raise the container up on feet to help drain the soil effectively.

Pruning is not required, but you can remove wayward branches or shorten its height after the flowers are spent in mid to late spring.

The buds may need some protection from late frosts. If a frost is forecast in early spring cover the whole shrub with horticultural fleece to ensure the buds are not damaged.

Interested in Camelias? Lots more info on our blog post: Camellias in Britain - an informal history.