Sasanqua Tree

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Can you prune a sasanqua to be a tree form ? I have two spots on the side of my car port I want two sasanquas but only as trees. I know Japonica is easily trimmed to tree form, but not sure about Sasanqua. I could do Japonica but they would get too much sun I think.

Right now I have two Indian Hawthorn trees there, one tree doesn't even bloom, but the other does. It is about double the size, although it is very scraggly looking and not full at all. So either way it's not getting enough sun and I think Sasanquas would be good.

This is why I was asking on another post if I have two trees where one tree was in more sun than the other, would they both bloom the same amount. This is a focal point for my house and during sasanqua bloom time this is about all I have blooming so I want them both to bloom as close to the same amount as possible. I don't want time hemel be in time he hehe same place I am now and one blooms great and the other is ugly and pointless.

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Comments (3)

luis_pr
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I would be more concerned with selecting a shrub that has more of a columnar form and plan to trim the tree with some regularity to keep them in sync. Camellias -given proper care- can attain huge sizes and outlive us by 4-5 generations (we just won't see them get "humongouos" because we do not live long enough).

If one location gets a lot of sun, the leaves of c. japonica may pout in the summer so a c. sasanqua may be better there. The only other thing you can do is make changes so both locations get about the same amount of light; a landscape company may be needed to measure the amt of light and trim tree branches as needed to equalize the sunlight. You should know within 3-5 years or so if this bloomage problem is going to occur as camellias get established in 1-3 years.

If the amount of light on one side differs "too much" from the other side, it may cause one side to produce more bloomage than the other but, you will need to try it out as trying it is the only way to know for sure.

Typically, one cannot see much difference but if you see a lot, you will need to decide what to do (keep the camellias or put something else). Unfortunately, if camellias were to show more bloomage on one side versus the other, the chances of another type of plant doing the same may also be very high too. And that is why you may want to see if a landscape company can try to equalize the amt of sunlight now.

Here are a few century++ old young "shrubs" (hee hee hee):

http://fotos.miarroba.com/fotos/3/c/3caa5613.jpg

https://www.pazoderubianes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Camelias_Pazo_Rubianes_6.jpg
bsmith0023 (z8b coastal SC)
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Your right, I haven't really looked at the above tree canopy. I am in a heavily wooded area though with tall tall trees so it may be tough and take away from the appeal of the area.. but it is worth looking at maybe getting a little trim on a few trees. Ill have to look up more!

Even if one side produces more blooms than the other, since camellias are shade lovers I should expect blooms of some sort on them both? My issue currently is that I only get blooms on one side period. I can deal with a little more on one side than the other, I can't deal with one side doing nothing.

I love your pictures, those are amazing. Wish we had some around here like that. You mention constant trimming, what if I were to purchase a mature dwarf variety? The current trees I have a huge and too big for to purchase he area as it is. I would be very happy with a small 5ft tree. I am sure I would still have to trim but is it possible to find a good variety that would stay around 5-6ft ? I was under the impression that sasanquas grow outward more than tree like.
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luis_pr
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yup, I would expect blooms of some sort on both. Perhaps you may need to study this issue of no blooms in Indian Hawthorns a bit more. Maybe another pair of eyes might be useful. For example, make sure you are not over-fertilizing as high levels of nitrogen result in lots of leaves and few or no blooms. Check to see if indirect sunlight bouncing from cement or white walls affects one shrub more than another... etc. Compare how they two plants are planted; is one above the surrounding soil and the other one is not? Stuff like that.....

Some sasanquas grow wide but not all so, it pays to see what is said on the plant labels about form and stuff like that. The constant trimming is to keep them in sync, size and form wise. And I do not mean to imply it is something you have to do all the time; maybe once a year depending on how vigorous they are. You can typically doze off watching them grow! Hee hee hee. Some of my shrubs, maybe, grow about 1" a year only so a 5' footer would take 12 years to become a 6' footer.