The following was received via email: Dear whoever is kind enough to answer my query Sorry. I wrote my message before registering and it got lost in the process. I was given a potted Camellia transnokoensis last February and kept it for a few months 8 floors up on my west-facing balcony. Although I wrapped it up during winter, it seems to have suffered from the cold. The twig ends dried off and I nipped them off in May. It now lives in a sheltered garden, still in a pot and surrounded by family, i.e. other potted Camellias, but does not look too healthy. Is the species particularly sensitive to cold (mild winters compared with Canadian winters), to dry heat, to lack of moisture or an excess of it. Does it hate being trimmed back, even lightly? Should it be fertilized? I'd be most grateful for any advice on how to deal with it. It was lovely when I was given it, willowy and full of flowers.
Plants in pots are certainly more susceptible to cold and heat than those planted in the ground. Camellia transnokoensis is a Taiwanese species with a hardiness rating of Zone 8, which means that it should survive average winter minimum temperatures of -12C (10F). However, in a container, the hardiness rating is probably more appropriately estimated at Zone 9 (-7C / 20F). If roots have been damaged by freezing, this will reduce above ground growth and the whole plant will probably look poorly. In an overheated atmosphere, mites can be a problem. If you're trying to resurrect your camellia, you should check to see if the roots are healthy (prune them back to healthy tissue) and plant it in a woodland environment (cool, moist, but well-drained soil with some shade). Wait for the plant to resprout before pruning back top growth. Good luck!
