Purple Dawn Camellia Japonica
Camellia japonica ‘Purple Dawn’ or ‘Mathotiana’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub
Species: Japonica (Winter, Spring blooming)
Height at Maturity: 8-10′
Width at Maturity: 6-8′
Spacing: 6′ for solid hedges; 12’+ for space between
Spacing: 6′ for solid hedges; 12’+ for space between
Flower Color: Deep Pink with Purple edges
Flower Size: Large, 5″
Flowering Period: Late Winter, Early Spring
Flower Type: Formal Double
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun, All Day Filtered Sun
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.5 (Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Resistances: Deer – more info, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity
Intolerances: Direct Afternoon Sun, Constantly Soggy Soil
Attracts: Visual Attention
Description
The Purple Dawn Camellia, also known as Camellia japonica ‘Mathotiana’, is prized for its large, 5 inch, formal double deep pink flowers that look as though they’ve been spray painted around the edges with purple. The purple cast appears as the bloom ages. The flower buds open in late winter and continue well in to spring. For those who love bold and uniquely beautiful flowers, Purple Dawn is a must have for the garden. The flowers are perfect for cutting. To enjoy them indoors, display several in a vase or float just one in a bowl of water.
Landscape & Garden Uses
A moderate to tall growing Camellia with an upright habit of growth to 8-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, Purple Dawn Camellia can be grown as a shrub or small tree. As a shrub, it is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as a hedge or background plant. It is especially nice as a corner plant or espalier (trained to grow flat against a wall) in home foundation plantings. As it grows, lower branches can be removed to form a small tree that serves well as an attractive and colorful specimen in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. A fine addition to lavender, pink or purple color theme gardens, camellia gardens, cottage gardens, cut flower gardens and woodland borders. Also suitable for containers that can be brought indoors during winter by those who live and garden above USDA Zone 7a, where this camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy. Find Your Zone
Suggested Spacing: 6 feet apart for solid hedge; 12 feet apart for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Camellia variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
Camellia adapt well to various soil types however prefer a moist but well-drained acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. Constantly soggy soil is a slow killer. In general, Camellia grows and blooms better in partial shade with some shelter from the hot afternoon sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sunlight is perfect. All-day filtered sun is fine.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Camellias…
- Planting Camellias
- Pruning Camellias
- How To Fertilize & Water Camellias
- How To Espalier Plants & Trees
*Espalier (pronounced: ih-spal-yay) …an ornamental shrub or tree that has been trained to grow flat against a wall, fence, or other vertical, flat surface.
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Very pleased with my purchase. The plants arrived in great shape and were larger than I had anticipated. Packing was excellent!——————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Purple Dawn Camellia!
This plant arrived in a timely manner.
It is very healthy and thriving in my garden.
I have looked everywhere for one and was so happy to find Wilson Brothers!
I can’t wait to cut all my beautiful blooms this winter!———————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This plant arrived in a timely manner.
It is very healthy and thriving in my garden.
I have looked everywhere for one and was so happy to find Wilson Brothers!
I can’t wait to cut all my beautiful blooms this winter!———————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I’ve been searching for a Purple Dawn Camellia like the one my mother had in her yard when I was growing up in Mississippi. I am thrilled that I finally found it at Wilson Brothers.
The plant is healthy and well shaped, and I cannot wait for the first bloom! Wilson Brothers has an amazing array of hard to find plants and shrubs. Their shipping is free, and they do a good job of getting plants to you quickly. I’m very thankful to have discovered them!———————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plant is healthy and well shaped, and I cannot wait for the first bloom! Wilson Brothers has an amazing array of hard to find plants and shrubs. Their shipping is free, and they do a good job of getting plants to you quickly. I’m very thankful to have discovered them!———————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Received my camellia quickly after ordering! It was packaged well and the plant was vibrant and healthy! I planted it about a month ago and it is doing great. Eager to see the beautiful blooms next spring!!——————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Excellent plant in perfect shape I am a returning customer. simply because the plants are so healthy when I get them. I am Happy.—————————————————–Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
My plants arrived fast, and in beautiful healthy condition. We planted immediately, have already had a couple good rain falls, and we can’t wait to see what beauties they become. Thank you for great service! I will be back for any needs like this!——————————————Thanks so much for your review. Let us know if there’s ever anything we can help you with. 🙂 – Beth | WBG
Beautiful healthy plant. Best mail order nursery! I always start my search with Wilson Bros.—————————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
These are the most beautiful and healthy plants I have ever gotten. They were so carefully packed and came really quickly. They had tons of buds when they arrived and have gotten quite a few blooms already. Purple dawns are hard to find. I am so glad I found Wilson Bros. I have to say I ordered from another nursery before I knew about this one and the plants were puny and spindly with no buds and one actually died. I’m planning to order more from Wilson Bros. You are the best. Thanks——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The packaging was spectacular and the plant arrived in absolutely perfect condition. It hasn’t bloomed yet, but has a lot of buds on it.———————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Good morning Team Wilson Brothers,
Thank you for the email to remind me and inform me how to get in touch with you regarding my order. I chose Wilson Brothers Gardens after I googled the Purple Dawn Camellia. I was intent on having this hybrid of flower because it was created by my Great Grandfather Jesse Cochran. I now have my own home in Florida, which is why it was important for me to have the plant. The package arrived around the 13th of October, sitting on my doorstep when I got home. I was pleasantly surprised at how the plant was packaged, both for shipment and for the interim prior to planting. The plant is in fine shape today as I write this email, I do not have a thumb like Jesse’s, but I hope that I can nurture it in his memory. I cannot wait to see the beautiful flowers that will be popping out of the already formed buds. Thank you for this experience and carrying the plant, I know that he would be pleased with the care and attention you have provided, so that I can enjoy his work.
Sincerely.—————————————-Awesome story! One of my personal favorites!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Thank you for the email to remind me and inform me how to get in touch with you regarding my order. I chose Wilson Brothers Gardens after I googled the Purple Dawn Camellia. I was intent on having this hybrid of flower because it was created by my Great Grandfather Jesse Cochran. I now have my own home in Florida, which is why it was important for me to have the plant. The package arrived around the 13th of October, sitting on my doorstep when I got home. I was pleasantly surprised at how the plant was packaged, both for shipment and for the interim prior to planting. The plant is in fine shape today as I write this email, I do not have a thumb like Jesse’s, but I hope that I can nurture it in his memory. I cannot wait to see the beautiful flowers that will be popping out of the already formed buds. Thank you for this experience and carrying the plant, I know that he would be pleased with the care and attention you have provided, so that I can enjoy his work.
Sincerely.—————————————-Awesome story! One of my personal favorites!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This was the first time I had ordered with Wilson Bros. Gardens and admittedly, I was hesitant to order a camellia online. I’ve loved Purple Dawn camellias since I was a little girl and when mine from Wilson Bros. arrived, I was extremely surprised at the quality and size., My plant arrived quickly, arriving in perfect condition. The plant itself was healthy and beautiful.. It’s been in the ground for a few weeks and is putting out new leaves and buds. I’ll definitely be ordering more camellias from Wilson Bros.! Thank you!—————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This and the other camellias I ordered came in great condition, fine healthy plants, excited to see them bloom!————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I put this camellia in the ground a few weeks ago and it is SO happy. Hoping to try to make it espalier. It arrived healthy and disease-free. Very excited to watch it grow and bloom!—————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plant received was healthy and in bud. At 3’ tall, it was larger than I expected. When the flowers opened they were gorgeous and quite large, 4”. The color is amazing. The plant was well-packed and arrived with no broken branches. This was my first purchase from Wilson Bros. I am sure that I will be back for more.—————————————-Thanks for the kind words!! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
I looked locally for this plant and hard a really hard time finding it online also. I was leery to have it shipped, but it arrived in Seattle in perfect condition. It was well-packed and is thriving. Thank you so much!———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Very pleased with the camellia – it arrived today. I will tell my fellow Master Gardeners about your product and service.—————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I ordered 2 trees, purple dawn camelia & blue satin althea. They were packed extremely well and looked great when unpacked. They arrived on May 30 and planted in the ground the same day. Today is June 20 and they both seem very happy in their new home. The purple dawn looked like it was trained/shaped for an espalier planting. I’m not doing an espalier with mine but it still looks great just planted as a normal specimen. I’m very impressed with Wilson bros gardens.———————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plant arrived in perfect condition and was full and lush with several buds which have now opened. Best plant I have ever ordered !! Thanks !



















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