The Volunteer Camellia is an evergreen beauty is a hybrid variety, known as ‘Jur01’, and it’s as low maintenance as they come.

The Volunteer is a real crowd-pleaser with its stunning anemone-shaped variegated flowers. They start the season as a deep, rich pink with white edges, then deepen to a dark pink-red and white as the season progresses. You might even spot a few plain pink-red flowers in the mix! This Camellia was named ‘Volunteer’ to commemorate The International Year of Volunteers in 2001 in New Zealand. It’s a fantastic addition to any garden or courtyard, whether as a standout specimen plant or in a large planter.

Here’s the lowdown on this beauty: It’s a medium, dense upright shrub that’ll give you a spectacular floral display from May to September. It’s happy in full sun to partial shade, and its dark glossy green foliage is a sight to behold all year round.

The Volunteer will grow up to 2 metres tall and spread out about 1.5 metres wide. It loves rich organic acid soil, and a good feed with an 8-9 month controlled release fertiliser in spring will keep it looking its best. This Camellia has been selected for its resistance to pests and diseases, making it a hardy choice for any garden.

Once you’ve got your Camellia planted, water it well until it’s established. After that, it’s surprisingly drought tolerant. And remember, you can plant these beauties 1.5 metres apart.

So, if you’re after a low maintenance plant that delivers a big impact, the ‘Volunteer’ Camellia is the one for you. As always, we’re here to help you every step of the way. Happy gardening!