Overview

Introduce a touch of timeless beauty to your garden with the Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant. This highly popular and award-winning evergreen shrub, scientifically known as Camellia japonica ‘Kramer’s Supreme’, is renowned for its exceptional floral display and vigorous growth. It is a live plant that delivers stunning, large, peony-form red flowers that captivate with their rich color and delightful fragrance. Blooming from late winter into early spring, this camellia provides much-needed cheer and visual interest during the colder months, making it a focal point in any landscape. Its glossy, dark green foliage remains attractive throughout the year, ensuring continuous appeal even when not in bloom. This particular specimen is shipped as a 1-2 ft plant in a 1-gallon pot, ready for planting and establishment in your garden.

The fragrant camellia shrub is a favorite among gardeners for its hardiness and ability to thrive in a variety of settings, from woodland gardens to formal borders. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, the ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ offers a rewarding growing experience with its spectacular blooms and easy-care nature. Its robust growth habit makes it an excellent choice for creating hedges, foundation plantings, or as a standalone specimen plant.

Key Benefits

The Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant offers numerous advantages that make it a prized addition to any garden:

• Spectacular Winter Blooms: Enjoy large, vibrant red, peony-form flowers that bloom profusely from late winter to early spring, providing a stunning splash of color when other plants are dormant. These blooms are a true highlight of the garden.
• Delightful Fragrance: Unlike many camellias, ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ boasts a noticeable, sweet fragrance, adding an extra sensory dimension to your garden experience. It’s a wonderful plant to feature near patios or windows.
• Award-Winning Variety: Recognized for its outstanding qualities, this camellia has received awards, signifying its superior performance and aesthetic appeal. You’re bringing a proven winner into your landscape.
• Evergreen Foliage: Its lustrous, dark green leaves provide year-round beauty and structure to the garden, ensuring your landscape remains vibrant even outside of its blooming season. This makes it an excellent choice for continuous interest.
• Versatile Landscape Use: Perfect as a specimen plant, in mixed borders, as a hedge, or even grown in large containers. Its adaptable nature allows it to fit into various garden designs.
• Attracts Pollinators: The early blooms serve as a valuable nectar source for early emerging pollinators, contributing to the biodiversity of your garden.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, this evergreen camellia care is relatively easy, requiring minimal attention to thrive and produce its magnificent flowers.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To ensure your Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant thrives, proper care is essential. This plant prefers a location with partial shade to full shade, especially protection from intense afternoon sun, which can scorch its leaves and flowers. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. It can tolerate more sun in cooler climates but generally benefits from some protection. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal diseases.

When it comes to watering, consistent moisture is key, especially during dry spells and while the plant is establishing. The soil should be kept evenly moist but never waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to root rot. During blooming periods, adequate hydration is crucial for flower development. Water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing the water to penetrate the root zone. A good rule of thumb is to check the soil moisture; if the top inch or two feels dry, it’s time to water.

The red camellia plant prefers acidic, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. A pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is optimal. Amend heavy clay soils with compost, pine bark, or other organic materials to improve drainage and aeration. For fertilization, use a slow-release granular fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants in early spring after the blooms have faded, and again in mid-summer. Avoid fertilizing in late summer or fall, as this can encourage new growth that is vulnerable to winter damage. Pruning is generally done after flowering to maintain shape, remove dead or damaged branches, and improve air circulation. This variety is generally hardy in USDA Zones 7-9, but can tolerate Zone 6 with proper winter protection. Protecting it from harsh winter winds and providing a thick layer of mulch will help it survive colder temperatures.

Size & Details

This offering is for a Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant, which ships as a healthy specimen measuring approximately 1-2 feet in height from the top of the soil. It is carefully rooted and established in a 1-gallon nursery pot, providing a robust root system ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. The mature size of a Camellia japonica Kramer’s Supreme can reach 6-10 feet in height and 5-7 feet in width, creating a substantial and impactful presence in the landscape. Its growth rate is moderate, allowing it to establish and fill out its space within a few years. Expect the first stunning, fragrant red blooms to appear in late winter to early spring, typically from February through April, depending on your specific climate and growing conditions. The plant arrives well-packaged to ensure its safe journey to your home, ready for its new environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant get? A: This camellia can eventually reach a mature height of 6-10 feet and a width of 5-7 feet, forming a substantial evergreen shrub. It is shipped at 1-2 feet tall in a 1-gallon pot.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The fragrant camellia shrub is primarily an outdoor plant, performing best in garden settings. While it can be overwintered indoors in very cold climates, it thrives outdoors in appropriate USDA zones.
• Q: How much sunlight does the red camellia plant need? A: It prefers partial shade to full shade, especially protection from hot afternoon sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal for optimal growth and flowering.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the Camellia Kramer’s Supreme live plant is considered relatively low maintenance. It requires consistent moisture, acidic soil, and occasional fertilization.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your camellia will arrive as a healthy, well-rooted live plant, approximately 1-2 feet tall, securely packaged in its 1-gallon nursery pot, ready for planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this camellia? A: The best time to plant is in fall or early spring, allowing the plant to establish its root system before extreme temperatures.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this Camellia japonica Kramer’s Supreme can tolerate? A: This camellia is generally hardy in USDA Zones 7-9. With proper winter protection, it can sometimes survive in Zone 6, tolerating temperatures down to about 0°F (-18°C).
• Q: Does this camellia have a fragrance? A: Yes, ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ is known for its beautiful, sweet fragrance, which is a desirable trait among camellia varieties.
• Q: How often should I water my evergreen camellia care? A: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Check the top 1-2 inches of soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water thoroughly.
• Q: What kind of soil does it prefer? A: This camellia thrives in well-draining, acidic soil that is rich in organic matter, with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.