Purple Dawn Camellia Japonica

Camellia japonica ‘Purple Dawn’ or ‘Mathotiana’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Species: Japonica (Winter, Spring blooming)

Height at Maturity: 8-10′

Width at Maturity: 6-8′
Spacing: 6′ for solid hedges; 12’+ for space between

Flower Color: Deep Pink with Purple edges

Flower Size: Large, 5″

Flowering Period: Late Winter, Early Spring

Flower Type: Formal Double

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun, All Day Filtered Sun

Water Needs: Average, Lower when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.5 (Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Resistances: Deer, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity

Intolerances: Direct Afternoon Sun, Constantly Soggy Soil

Attracts: Visual Attention

Description

The Purple Dawn Camellia, also known as Camellia japonica ‘Mathotiana’, is prized for its large, 5 inch, formal double deep pink flowers that look as though they’ve been spray painted around the edges with purple. The purple cast appears as the bloom ages. The flower buds open in late winter and continue well in to spring. For those who love bold and uniquely beautiful flowers, Purple Dawn is a must have for the garden. The flowers are perfect for cutting. To enjoy them indoors, display several in a vase or float just one in a bowl of water.

Landscape & Garden Uses

A moderate to tall growing Camellia with an upright habit of growth to 8-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, Purple Dawn Camellia can be grown as a shrub or small tree. As a shrub, it is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as a hedge or background plant. It is especially nice as a corner plant or espalier (trained to grow flat against a wall) in home foundation plantings. As it grows, lower branches can be removed to form a small tree that serves well as an attractive and colorful specimen in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. A fine addition to lavender, pink or purple color theme gardens, camellia gardens, cottage gardens, cut flower gardens and woodland borders. Also suitable for containers that can be brought indoors during winter by those who live and garden above USDA Zone 7a, where this camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy. Find Your Zone

Suggested Spacing: 6 feet apart for solid hedge; 12 feet apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Camellia adapt well to various soil types however prefer a moist but well-drained acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. Constantly soggy soil is a slow killer. In general, Camellia grows and blooms better in partial shade with some shelter from the hot afternoon sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sunlight is perfect. All-day filtered sun is fine.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Camellias…

Planting Camellias
Pruning Camellias
How To Fertilize & Water Camellias
How To Espalier Plants & Trees

*Espalier (pronounced: ih-spal-yay) …an ornamental shrub or tree that has been trained to grow flat against a wall, fence, or other vertical, flat surface.

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Planted in October of 2021 and the first blooms appeared I. January 2022. While the plant is still small, it’s continuing to bloom at the beginning of May 2022. The color is incredible and really does fade from strawberry red to lilac over time. One bloom in a bowl of water is beautiful and brightens up a rainy spring day.———————————————Thanks so much for the photos! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG