Japan and China.
Sasanqua (left) vs. Japonica (right). 1  Japonica camellias (Camellia japonica) bloom in winter or early spring. 2  They have large leaves and flowers and are the species most familiar to home gardeners. 3  Sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua) have smaller, darker leaves along with smaller blossoms, and they bloom in the fall. Like many landscape shrubs, there are thousands of cultivated camellia varieties and hybrids. In general, camellias have the following characteristics: 1  Size: Typically 6-15 feet tall, although there are smaller (2 ft.) and larger (to 20 ft.) varieties as well. 2  Width is 5-7 feet. The camellia is a landscape shrub that makes a striking and attention-grabbing accent plant. The scientific name of this plant is Camellia japonica. Camellias originate in the Far East, primarily in Japan and China. They have beautiful red, white or pink flowers that bloom for most of the year -- in winter, spring and fall. To many people, the Japonica is the most recognisable Camellia. It has a strong growth habit, large glossy dark green leaves and the flowers come from late autumn, right through to spring and they come in a range of sizes and colours and forms.  The first camellias to be cultivated, possibly around 5000 years ago, were tea plants, camellia species local to the area whose young shoots and leaves have been traditionally plucked to make the world famous beverage, particularly Camellia sinensis var sinensis which is widely distributed in China. In their natural environments camellias receive very little water in winter when they are dormant. Most of the rain falls during the monsoon season, which starts just when temperatures rise and they come into growth in the Spring. 1 Japonica camellias (Camellia japonica) bloom in winter or early spring. 2  They have large leaves and flowers and are the species most familiar to home gardeners. 3  Sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua) have smaller, darker leaves along with smaller blossoms, and they bloom in the fall. Like many landscape shrubs, there are thousands of cultivated camellia varieties and hybrids. In general, camellias have the following characteristics: 1  Size: Typically 6-15 feet tall, although there are smaller (2 ft.) and larger (to 20 ft.) varieties as well. 2  Width is 5-7 feet. Camellias are evergreen shrubs or small trees up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. Their leaves are alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, and usually glossy. Their flowers are usually large and conspicuous, one to 12 cm in diameter, with five to nine petals in naturally occurring species of camellias. This genus is famous throughout East Asia; camellias are known as chahuā (cháhuā) 茶花 In, chinese tea, flower an apt, designation as (tsubaki) 椿 In, japanese as-dongbaek (kkot동백) 꽃 In korean and as hoa tra trà or hoa Che. chè in vietnamese The various species of camellia plants are generally well-adapted to acidic soils rich in humus, and most species do not grow well on chalky soil or other calcium-rich soils. This genus is famous throughout East Asia; camellias are known as chahuā (cháhuā) 茶花 In, chinese tea, flower an apt, designation as (tsubaki) 椿 In, japanese as-dongbaek (kkot동백) 꽃 In korean and as hoa tra trà or hoa Che. chè in vietnamese Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number. This genus is famous throughout East Asia; camellias are known as chahuā (cháhuā) 茶花 In, chinese tea, flower an apt, designation as (tsubaki) 椿 In, japanese as-dongbaek (kkot동백) 꽃 In korean and as hoa tra trà or hoa Che. chè in vietnamese There are two types of camellias commonly used in eastern North Carolina. The Japanese camellia is a large plant that gets 15 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Japanese camellias have large leaves and flowers that are 4 to 8 inches in diameter. Blooms may open from early winter to spring. Sasanqua camellias have smaller leaves on a plant that is normally 6 to 10 feet high and about 3 to 5 feet wide (there are some dwarf types). Flowers are only 2 to 3 inches in diameter and open in the fall or early winter.
http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-grow-camellias/ http://home.howstuffworks.com/grow-camellias.htm http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3262726.htm http://www.internationalcamellia.org/basic-principles-of-growing-camellias http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-grow-camellias/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia https://pitt.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/01/camellias-5/?src=rss
where do camellias originate from