As of 2016[update], a number of camellia cultivars hold the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
[1] Camellias are popular shrubs of medium to large size (typically 1 to 4 cubic metres (35 to 141 cu ft)), originating in China and the far east.
Best seen in a dappled woodland setting, they thrive in acid soil, like other calcifuges such as rhododendrons.
They are especially valued for their glossy evergreen foliage and large showy blooms, in shades of red, pink and white.
Though the plants are robust, the blooms are easily damaged by frost.