Camellias Seedlings - Unusual Leaves

When you are looking for unique new blooms from camellia seedlings, you may need to wait 5 years to see the first flower. Now and then, it's the foliage that stands out. Consider these two seedlings.

This first little camellia has naturally variegated leaves. The seed parent is "Dixie Knight Supreme." Leaves this pale are usually susceptable to sunburn, so I'll keep it in the shade.




This next camellia seedling has unusual curly leaves. Notice the praying mantis hiding under the leaf!

The graft 4 weeks later...

The graft looks good. I can see through the protective baggie that the tiny growth bud has started to swell.

With the baggie off, it's clear that the graft "took". Notice the foil on the center stalk. The next photo more clearly shows this new middle graft which I added about two weeks ago. Soon I will graft onto the shoot that is in back.