Edible: Leaves - tea, Seeds - oil, Flowers, Leaves
A shrub or small tree. It grows 1.8-7.5 m tall. It spreads 1.8-6 m wide. The leaves are glossy on the top surface and dull and spotted underneath. They are broadly oval and pointed. The flowers are large and red. The fruit vary in size. Many named varieties occur.
It is a temperate plant. It is resistant to frost but sensitive to drought. In Japan it grows along river banks and on the edges of forests. It grow in forests between 300-1,100 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. Arboretum Tasmania. They do well with a pH of 4.5-5.5. In Yunnan.
Common Names: Dongbaek-kkambugi, False flax, Gold of pleasure, Japonska kamelija, Kamelia jepang, Mawar musim dingin, Rose of winter, Shancha, Siberian oil seed, Trahoa nhat, Tsitsmati
Synonyms:
Thea japonica Nois.