Camellia japonica 'Brushfield's Yellow'Camellia

Selected by Keith Brushfield in Australia and registered in 1968, ‘Brushfield’s Yellow’ forms a vigorous evergreen shrub of predominantly upright growth. The compact crown can reach approximately 2.5 to 4 metres in height and 1.5 to 2.5 metres in spread.

The flowers have an anemone-form structure. An outer ring of broad petals, in antique white or cream, surrounds a raised centre densely filled with wavy primrose-yellow petaloids. It is not a wholly yellow flower, but the contrast between the two zones creates a luminous expression that is uncommon among Camellia japonica.

Flowering takes place from the middle to the end of the camellia season, extending the interest of the collection through the spring. The flowers stand out against evergreen, leathery, dark green leaves, which maintain the structure of the plant all year round.

It prefers partial shade or filtered light, in a spot protected from dry winds and from direct sun in the first hours after cold nights. It grows best in acidic to neutral soil, rich in organic matter, moist and well drained, conditions particularly compatible with the Atlantic climate of northern Portugal.

Its upright habit allows it to be used at entrances, in courtyards and small gardens, beside walls or as part of camellia collections. A mature specimen from Diaplant immediately brings a narrow, well-formed evergreen mass, together with a crown developed enough to display the unusual creamy-white and primrose-yellow flowering in quantity.