Camellia reticulata

Camellia reticulata (syn. C. heterophylla) is a species of flowering plant in the tea family Theaceae, native to southwestern China, in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces.

It is a loosely branched shrub or small tree, which can grow up to 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 ft) in height. The leaves are elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 5–11 centimetres (2.0–4.3 in) long and 4–5.5 centimetres (1.6–2.2 in) wide. The flowers are 7–10 centimetres (2.8–3.9 in) in diameter, or larger in some cultivars, soft-pink to deep-pink and rarely almost white, with 5–7 petals or more in some cultivars, and are produced in sub-terminal or axillary positions on the branch. The fruit is a light brown, three-segmented capsule, about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in diameter that ripens in the fall This Camellia is very susceptible to cold weather and has a late blooming season; August through October in the southern hemisphere and March through May in the northern hemisphere.