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Camellia 'Nuccio's Gem' 15cm

Name: Camellia 'Nuccio's Gem' 15cm
Brand: Greenleaf Garden Center
SKU: CamelNucGem15cm
Price: 34.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€34,00

Quantity

Evergreen flowering shrub · Theaceae · Upright growth

Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem’

Petal upon petal. Someone here has patience 🧘

Family: Theaceae · Pot diameter: 15 cm · Height: approximately 50 cm

White double flowers
Symmetrical petal layers
Dark evergreen foliage
RHS Award of Garden Merit

Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ builds its white flower with a patience visible in every petal. Symmetrical, overlapping layers form a full rosette, with a clear outline and fine shadows between the curves. Against dark, glossy foliage, this small piece of architecture gains a distinctive presence: a camellia for those who enjoy luxury in the details and flowers that brighten a space without relying on vivid colour.

Its upright growth adds a calm vertical element to a white-and-green composition. Against a dark wall or beside a route you use every day, the flowers read clearly from a distance, while a closer look reveals the successive rhythm of their petals.

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, awarded in 1993.

What makes it special

Flower geometry, contrasting foliage and the shrub’s lasting presence define its character.

A white rosette

Formal double flowers, approximately 9–11 cm across, have ordered petals covering the centre without a visible cluster of stamens.

Green gives depth

Glossy dark leaves make the white curves stand out and keep the composition full between flowering seasons.

Upright from youth

Initially narrower, upright growth develops into a larger branching shrub whose future presence deserves planning from the outset.

Why you will love it: It brings light to a quiet colour scheme, with detail that rewards every close look.

In the garden & on the balcony Placement & plant combinations White flowers against a dark background, with generous space

Planting position

White with depth

Place it in bright partial shade, sheltered from drying winds and hot afternoon sun. Allow a long-term spread of 2.5–4 m in the ground; for two separate mature crowns, about 4 m between centres is a conservative design starting point. A large pot suits a terrace if gradual repotting and summer watering are planned.

Colour & compatibility

A calm ericaceous composition

Work with white, soft pink and rich green. These choices suit cool partial shade, acidic organic soil and even moisture without waterlogging.

Rhododendron yakushimanum — Beside the camellia, with separate crown space; pink-to-white flowers continue the gentle palette.
Skimmia japonica — Alongside as a second evergreen shrub, with decorative buds and without crowding the camellia’s base.
Hydrangea serrata — In its own watered position in front or to the side, for flatter summer flowerheads after the white rosettes.

Care at a glance

Light

Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun, with shade during the hottest hours.

Watering

Keep roots evenly moist without saturation. Water thoroughly as the upper layer begins to dry.

Climate & hardiness

RHS H5: −15 to −10°C under UK conditions. Flowers and potted roots are more vulnerable than an established shrub in the ground.

Safety

Camellia japonica is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It is not intended for consumption.

Detailed careComplete care guideProtecting white petals and maintaining root balance

Light without stress

Choose bright partial shade away from hot wall reflections and cold draughts. Sudden early sunshine after frost can damage flowers even when the shrub tolerates the cold.

Open, acidic soil

Plant in fertile, humus-rich, acidic to neutral soil. Water must drain away without leaving roots continuously saturated. Do not bury the stem bases beneath extra soil.

Gradual repotting

When roots fill the pot, move to a slightly larger one with clear drainage holes and ericaceous compost. Avoid deep planting and permanent water inside a decorative outer pot.

Consistent summer watering

The next flower buds develop during the preceding growing season. Do not let the root zone dry out in summer; check moisture and water according to weather rather than a fixed calendar.

Feed during growth

Use an ericaceous fertiliser during active growth, following its label and accounting for nutrients already in the compost. Do not feed dry roots and avoid excessive late applications.

Clean blooms, a natural crown

Remove spent flowers for a tidy display and prune only as needed after flowering. Protect the pot and buds in severe cold; H5 is not a guarantee for every exposure.

Development over timeFrom an upright young plant to a white focal pointLong-term growth and flowering in the cooler season

Its initially narrow habit

The young plant grows upright. As shoots branch, the crown gains depth and spread without requiring rigid clipping.

Room for the years ahead

In suitable ground, its long-term range is approximately 2.5–4 m in height and spread over 20–50 years. The small pot supplied does not define the mature shrub’s size.

White in the cooler season

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ flowers early to mid camellia season, usually from winter into early spring depending on microclimate. Green foliage and fresh growth follow.

Mature habit & dimensions

20–50 years

Height 2.5–4 mSpread 2.5–4 mUpright, branching

The upright crown branches and broadens with age; plan for a spread up to 4 m.

Form through time

Evergreen

Winter–early springWhite formal double flowers

SummerEvergreen foliage

White rosettes brighten the cooler season. Summer retains the glossy foliage of ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ as the next cycle develops.

What to expect after planting: Establishment comes before a full crown. Growth in a pot is usually more restrained than in the ground and depends on available root space and consistent care.

History & origin Cultivar origin A white selection from Altadena, California

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ arose as a chance seedling at Nuccio’s Nurseries in Altadena, California. It first flowered in 1965 and appeared in the nursery’s 1970 catalogue as code 6506. Its exact parentage is unknown.

It received the Margarete Hertrich Award in 1973. In 1979 it was recorded as registration 1531 in the American Camellia Yearbook and received the Illges Medal. The William E. Woodroof Camellia Hall of Fame Award followed in 1981, then the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance

Petals in place of other organs

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ is a formal double, with overlapping petals and no visible stamens. Studies in other Camellia japonica cultivars connect the formation of double flowers with changes in floral organ identity, as staminal organs take on petal-like form; this is more than the enlargement of a single flower.

White and anthocyanins

Analyses of white Camellia japonica cultivars did not detect the anthocyanins that colour pink and red petals. The absence of these pigments explains how a full flower can remain white despite its many layers of petals.

Frequently asked questions

Answers behind the white rosettes: size, light, season and appropriate care.

01Does it stay white throughout flowering?

‘Nuccio’s Gem’ is a white cultivar. Brown marks on ageing petals relate to deterioration, weather or a flower problem, rather than a normal change to another colour.

02Why are there no yellow stamens visible?

Its characteristic bloom is a formal double. The many ordered rows of petals extend to the centre without the visible cluster of stamens found in a single flower.

03Is it really a small shrub?

The young plant looks compact, but in the ground it may eventually reach 2.5–4 m in height and spread. It usually remains more restricted in a pot.

04Does it need sun to flower?

It needs sufficient light, but in Greek summer heat bright partial shade is safer than strong afternoon sun. Deep permanent shade may reduce flowering.

05Should I cut the stems carrying old flowers?

Mainly remove the spent flowers. Cut shoots only if shaping is needed, immediately after flowering; frequent clipping can remove growth that would carry future buds.

06Does H5 mean it needs no protection?

No. The scale describes hardiness under particular conditions, rather than undamaged flowers or pots in every frost. Exposed roots, cold winds and the duration of cold all affect actual tolerance.