Camellia semiserrata

Camellia semiserrata is a tree in the tea family. It is evergreen, keeping its leaves all year. It grows wild in Guangdong and eastern Guangxi, in southern China. Its home range has a subtropical climate. It grows in forests and wooded river valleys. Sources place these sites at 656–2,625 feet [200–800 metres] above sea level. Useful Tropical Plants cites an IUCN review from 2013. It gave the species a status of Least Concern.

Sources differ on its size and growth form. Useful Tropical Plants lists a height of about 33 feet [10 metres]. Plants For A Future calls it a shrub reaching 39 feet [12 metres]. An account based on a flora lists trees reaching 49 feet [15 metres]. The sources note its value as a garden plant. But they give few leaf or bark details for this species. Garden uses include woodland edges and spots with patches of shade.

Plants For A Future gives January to March as its bloom time. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees visit the flowers and carry pollen. The plant sets few seeds with its own pollen. Those seeds also tend to have a low chance of sprouting. Seeds ripen from September to October. Growers in China raise this species for its seed oil. People also gather seeds from wild trees. People use the oil in cooking. This does not show that whole seeds are safe to eat.

In gardens, it prefers moist soil that drains well. Sandy soil and loam both suit it. Woodland soil is a good choice. So is loam with added leaf mould. It prefers lime-free ground with a pH of 5–7. Light woodland shade suits it. Plants For A Future also lists sun. Wet summers and cool winters with little frost suit its needs. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 7–10. Useful Tropical Plants takes a more cautious view of outdoor growth. It limits this to very mild parts of temperate regions.

Sow fresh seed in a greenhouse once ripe. Plants For A Future advises light shade for young seedlings. It also says to keep them in a greenhouse through their first winter. Shield young plants from cold after planting them outdoors. Neither account lists a known hazard. But neither gives detailed proof of safety for pets. Plants For A Future lists no known use as medicine. It does not flag a risk of becoming a weed.