The most common problems with camellias are tea scale, leaf gall, chlorosis from bad soil pH, bud drop, and dieback canker. Most of these issues show clear signs you can spot early if you know where to look on your plants.
I first noticed tea scale on my japonica when tiny yellow dots showed up on the leaf tops. When I flipped those leaves over, I found white cottony patches stuck to the back. That fuzzy coating was the female tea scale insect. She had been feeding on my plant for weeks before I caught it. Your camellia diseases and pests often hide under the leaves, so check there every time you water.
Tea scale is the most damaging insect pest your camellias will face. Clemson Extension calls it the single most important bug to watch for. Each female lays 10 to 16 eggs that hatch in just 1 to 3 weeks. One small patch can explode into a full invasion before you realize it. You need to catch these pests early or they'll weaken your plant and ruin its looks.
Tea Scale Insects
- What to look for: Yellow dots on leaf tops and white fuzzy patches on leaf undersides that spread fast through your plant.
- How it hurts: Drains sap from leaves, causes yellow spots, and weakens your plant over time until leaves drop off the branches.
- What to do: Spray horticultural oil in late spring when crawlers are active and repeat every 2 weeks until the patches clear up.
Leaf Gall Fungus
- What to look for: Thick, puffy growths on new leaves that start green and turn white as spores form on the surface.
- Which plants get it: Sasanqua camellias catch this more often than japonicas per Clemson Extension, so check your sasanquas first.
- What to do: Pick off every gall by hand before it turns white and bag them in the trash to stop spores from spreading.
Bud Drop Before Bloom
- What to look for: Flower buds that dry out, turn brown, and fall off the plant before they ever open during fall or winter.
- Why it happens: Dry soil during the July to September bud-forming window starves the buds of the moisture they need to develop.
- What to do: Water your camellias deeply once per week all summer long and add 2 inches of mulch to hold moisture in the soil.
Chlorosis From Alkaline Soil
- What to look for: Leaves that turn yellow between the veins while the veins stay green, giving your plant a striped look.
- Why it happens: Soil pH above 6.5 locks up iron so your camellia can't absorb it no matter how much fertilizer you add.
- What to do: Test your soil pH and add sulfur or pine bark mulch to bring the number down to 5.5 to 6.5 range.
Flower blight is another threat you should know about. This fungus turns your blooms brown and mushy from the inside out. The spores travel up to one mile by wind, so your neighbor's sick camellias can infect yours. Sasanqua camellias dodge this disease on their own, but japonicas catch it with ease. Pick up all fallen flowers right away to break the cycle in your yard.
This camellia troubleshooting guide covers the issues I've dealt with over ten years of growing both types. The key to healthy camellias is catching problems early. Check your leaf undersides for scale every week. Test your soil pH once a year. Water deep and steady from summer through fall. These three habits prevent most issues before they start.
Read the full article: Camellia Sasanqua Varieties and Care
