How Big Do 'Don-Mac' Camellia Bushes Get?

Growth Habit

• Japanese camellias are slow-growing, and "Don-Mac" is no exception. Originally grown from seed by Sylvia Donahoo, a prolific originator of camellias, the original seedling "Don-Mac" was 6 years old when it bore its first bloom. Five years later, it was registered in the American Camellia Yearbook. For a Japanese camellia, "Don-Mac" grows at an average growth rate. Though it is a little more open in its growth habit than many Japanese camellias, this dense, pyramidal shrub will eventually reach about 15 feet in height and 10 feet in width. However, expect it will take 20 years to reach that size.

Features

• With decades of popularity behind it, "Don-Mac" adds year-round interest to the garden with leathery, dark-green, 4-inch leaves that remain on the plant's smooth stems all year. In mid-winter to early spring, the glossy evergreen foliage is topped with a profusion of large, dark-red blooms that measure nearly 5.5 inches across. Each loose, semi-double bloom boasts 21 crepe-like, crinkled petals with prominent yellow anthers at the center of each blossom.

Culture

• Because "Don-Mac" grows slowly, like all Japanese camellias, it can be slow to get established in a new location. The site of your camellia is particularly important if you're in the lower limit of its USDA cold hardiness zone 7. However, "Don-Mac" has proven reliably cold-hardy in that zone over its many years of performance. Choose a partially shaded site with moist, acidic, well-drained soil that will also shelter the shrub from full sun and desiccating winter winds. Amend soil with compost to help the plant establish most quickly. Proper watering is critical for Japanese camellias, particularly in the first year, because their root system is shallow. To ensure its healthy maturation, establish a regular, weekly watering schedule during that first year, and water more frequently if heat is extreme. Always mulch the soil around "Don-Mac" to keep moisture content consistently high.

Uses

• Japanese camellias are long-lived, with some specimens in Japan known to be more than 500 years old. Use "Don-Mac" in locations and combinations where you intend to have it live for a long time. The attractive foliage and large, showy flowers make it an outstanding large accent shrub. Grown singly or in larger numbers, it's also effective as part of a mixed planting, shrub border, hedge or screen.