Yellow Camellia is a rare and enchanting evergreen shrub that emerged from the forests of southern China and Vietnam in the 1970s as the first yellow-flowered camellia to reach Western gardens. This botanical variety, scientifically known as Camellia petelotii var. petelotii, produces fragrant golden-yellow flowers up to 2 inches across from December through March, a period when most gardens crave color and warmth. Hardy in zones 8-10, it grows to 6-10 feet tall and 4-7 feet wide, making it substantial enough to anchor a garden while remaining manageable in many landscapes. The flowers themselves carry a bushy center of yellow stamens and 8-12 petals, offering both visual drama and fragrance, a rarity among camellias. Growers in mild climates have waited generations for a yellow-flowering camellia of garden merit, and this variety delivers.
Partial Shade
Moderate
8-10
120in H x 84in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
This is the camellia yellow-seekers have been dreaming of. The golden flowers appear reliably through the entire winter season, a gift when the garden is otherwise asleep, and they release a genuine fragrance that distinguishes them from countless scentless ornamentals. Growing it requires some finesse, these shrubs demand organically rich, acidic soil that stays consistently moist, dappled shade beneath tree canopies, and shelter from harsh winds and scorching afternoon sun, but the payoff justifies the care. Few plants offer winter color, fragrance, and the sophisticated presence of a camellia all at once.
Yellow Camellia serves as an ornamental shrub, particularly valued for hedging and screens in mild-winter regions. Its evergreen foliage and winter bloomtime make it a sophisticated choice for foundation plantings, woodland gardens, and locations where year-round structure and seasonal color matter. The fragrant winter flowers bring a rare quality to gardens during months when few shrubs offer both scent and blooms.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
No care instructions available yet for this variety.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Camellia petelotii var. petelotii arrived in gardens from the wild forests of southern China and Vietnam in the early 1970s, breaking a centuries-long horticultural quest. Until this botanical variety emerged, gardeners dreamed of yellow camellias but found none. It was long known by the name Camellia chrysantha, then later formally designated as Camellia nitidissima beginning in 1991, though nurseries and specialists often recognize it by its current scientific designation. This plant represents not a modern hybrid created in a breeding program, but a wild discovery, a botanical treasure that existed in remote Asian forests until botanists and plant hunters brought it to cultivation. Its arrival changed the camellia world, proving that the color so long sought actually existed in nature.”