Shrub or tree. Branchlets hairless. Leaves elliptic to oblong mostly 8-10 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, veins visible on both surfaces. Bracts densely velvety on both surfaces. Flowers variously coloured in the cultivar range and petals also variable in number. Stamens 3-4 cm long, the outer ones fused into a tube. Style 3-4 cleft. Ovary hairy. Fruit large with thick walls.
A species with many cultivars which differ greatly from the wild species. Flowers often semi-double and double. Many of the cultivars have been introduced from New Zealand and America. Seedlings may revert to the natural form.
China (Yunnan)
Leaves dull above and without dark corky dots below cf. C. japonica. Bracts velvety hairy and forming an extended base to the flower. Petals mostly 5-6 cm long, leaves variable but up to 10 cm long. Similar to C. saluenensis and C. pitardii; the latter has smaller flowers and more sharply toothed leaves, the former is a smaller shrub.
Source: (1997). Camellia. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Camellia reticulata 'Arch of Triumph'
Flowers informal double red, up to 17 cm wide with 15–20 petals and yellow stamens. Raised by David Feathers, Lafayette, California, USA as a chance hybrid seedling that first bloomed in 1962. Int. c. 1972.
Camellia reticulata 'Captain Rawes'
Flowers 14–17 cm wide, semi-double, bright pink becoming paler towards the centre, petals wavy-edged. An early 19th century introduction from China to England by Captain Rawes.
Camellia reticulata 'Corinne Sebire'
Flowers 15–16 cm wide, semi-double, rose-opal. Raised by E.R. Sebire, Wandin North, Victoria, Australia with C. reticulata 'Buddha' as a seed parent and first flowered in 1973. Int. c. 1976.
Camellia reticulata 'Crimson Robe'
Flowers 12–16 cm wide, carmine, with about 21 petals in 4–5 whorls. Raised in China and int. c. 1930. ['Dataohong' is the original Chinese name]
Camellia reticulata 'Curtain Call'
Flowers about 15–18 cm wide, semi-double, pink. A chance seedling raised in Nuccio's Nurseries, Altadena, California, USA, first blooming in 1976 and introduced c. 1979.
Flowers about 13 cm wide, informal double, pinkish red, petals wavy. Raised by Nuccio's Nurseries, Altadena, California, USA as a seedling and first flowered in 1973. Int. c. 1977.
Camellia reticulata 'Emma Gaeta'
(C. reticulata 'Cornelian' × C. reticulata 'Mouchang') Flowers deep pink, semi-double, petals upright and folded. Raised by Meyer Piet, California, USA. Int. c. 1981.
Camellia reticulata 'Miss Tulare'
Flowers 12–13 cm wide, informal double, red with about 50 petals and yellow anthers. Raised by M. W. Abramson, Tulare, California, USA as a chance seedling of 'Crimson Robe' that first bloomed in 1973. Int. c. 1975.
Camellia reticulata 'Mouchang'
Flower about 15 cm wide, semi-double, salmon pink with yellow stamens, petals 10, large, petal-like stamens 6. A seedling of a cross between 'Chang's Temple' and 'Mudan Cha' raised by Howard Asper, Escondido, California, USA. Int. c. 1967.
Camellia reticulata 'Nuccio's Ruby'
Flowers about 12.5 cm wide, deep red, semi-double, petals ruffled. Raised as a chance seedling at Nuccio's Nurseries, Altadena, California, USA and first flowered in 1970. Int. c. 1974.
Camellia reticulata 'Overture'
Flowers c. 15 cm wide, semi-double, bright red. Raised by F.S. Tuckfield, Berwick, Victoria from a seedling of 'Crimson Robe' and first flowered in 1968. Int. c. 1971.
Flowers c. 20 cm wide, semi-double, bright red. Raised by Len Hobbs, East Doncaster, Victoria, Australia as a chance seedling that first bloomed in 1967. Int. c. 1978.
Camellia reticulata 'Wandin Sebire'
Flowers 15–16.5 cm wide, deep pink, semi-double. Raised by E.R. Sebire, Wandin North, Victoria, Australia as a seedling of 'Crimson Robe' that first flowered in 1972. Int. c. 1977.
Camellia reticulata 'White Retic'
Flowers white with bluish pink reverse, semi-double. Raised by Hamilton Fish, Santa Cruz, California, USA as a seedling and int. Nuccio's Nurseries in 1979.
Camellia reticulata 'William Hertrich'
Flowers semi-double, deep red with irregular petals, the outer ones reflexed, the inner ones upright. Raised in America as a seedling of 'Damanao'. Int. c. 1962.
Camellia reticulata 'Winifred Sebire'
Flowers about 15 cm wide, deep pink, semi-double to informal double. Raised by E.R. Sebire, Wandin North, Victoria, Australia as a seedling of 'Tali Queen' and first bloomed in 1970.
Camellia reticulata 'Winter's Own'
Flowers semi-double to informal double, pink. Raised by M.F. Greentree, Kingsgrove, New South Wales, Australia as a cross between 'Lasca Beauty' with 'Arbutus Gum', first flowered in 1983. Int. c. 1985.
Camellia reticulata 'Wintersun'
Flowers 12–13 cm wide, informal double. Petals deep pink with wavy petals around the petal-like stamens. A chance seedling of 'Crimson Robe' raised by F.S. Tuckfield, Berwick, Victoria, Australia.' Int. c. 1970. ['Winter Sun']
