Family Theaceae.
Garden origin.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit,
- Glossy evergreen foliage forms a dense, architectural medium-sized shrub.
- Crimson-red double blooms flower in a prolonged spring show.
- Easy to grow in non-alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.
‘Les Jury’ in Your Garden
Elegant and flamboyant, the formal blooms of this hybrid Camellia have a beautifully-organised rose-like arrangement. Heralding spring’s arrival, Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’s layered, crimson-red double petals stand out against its dark evergreen foliage.
Hardy in all UK gardens, it reaches 2.5m high and 1.5m wide in 10–20 years, flourishing in non-alkaline soil. It adds a rich, intense colour to the dappled shade of Norfolk’s woodland gardens. An outstanding red-flowered evergreen patio shrub, its dense crown is ideal for adding structure to Suffolk’s contemporary patios.
Its abundant dark-green crown makes a valuable year-round display and can be clipped to form any shape. Whether shaped to slender columnar forms or multi-stemmed pompoms, it makes a striking architectural impact. Williamsii camellia hybrids have a long history in UK horticulture and are ideal for traditional English cottage and formal gardens.
Growing Tips for Your ‘Les Jury’ Hybrid Camellia
- Soil and Sun: Plant in non-alkaline, moist, but well-drained soil; dappled shade is ideal
- Planting: Set in spring or autumn; summer planting requires extra attention to watering. Plunge for 20 minutes to drench the root ball before planting.
- Watering: Moderate; tolerates short spells of drought once rooted, water regularly whilst it is rooting out.
- Pruning: Optional; left to grow naturally it will form a rounded upright medium-sized shrub. Alternatively, it can be pruned to form any shape immediately after flowering. Pinch out spent flower spikes during the season.
Whether grown as a red-flowered evergreen patio shrub or planted out, Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’ makes a rewarding specimen. Its hardiness, steady growth, and adaptability to all styles make it a go-to variety. Its dense growth and preference for shade even make it an ideal jungle garden specimen.
Planting Ideas for the Formal Flowered Camellia ‘Les Jury’
Compose a community of contrasting textures, with clipped camellias in pots providing an architectural backbone. Placed in pairs or repeated at intervals on terraces, they form the ideal punctuation or accent amongst soft, cascading species. Intersperse them with Miscanthus ‘Kleine Fontane’, Panicum ‘Prairie Sky’, Molinia ‘Skyracer’, and Pennisetum macrourum for dramatic impact.
Optimise silvery olive tree crowns by giving them a backdrop of camellias. Place them in alternating positions and frame their billowing crowns with their dense masses of dark-green camellia foliage. Olea ‘Hojiblanca’, ‘Arbequina’, gnarled europaea, and for further structure, clipped cone olives.
