Bloomipedia
Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)
Photo: Carla Hall via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Garden flower

Japanese camellia

Camellia japonica

★ Official state flower of Alabama (1959)🌷 Garden flowerIntroduced in the lower 48

Japanese camellia is a popular garden flower. It's grown in Alabama gardens, so wild records are few.

4states
6AL sightings*
94U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026. Planted garden flowers are mostly excluded from research grade.

On our lists for: Alabama

🏅
Alabama's official state flower since 1959. Visit the Alabama page → Code of Ala. § 1-2-11

Quick look

Camellia japonica, known as common camellia, or Japanese camellia, is a species of flowering plant from the genus Camellia in the tea family Theaceae. It is native to China and Japan, and grows naturally in forests at altitudes of around 300–1,100 metres (980–3,600 ft).

  • It belongs to the Theaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 6 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #108 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

Japanese camellia gift ideas

Handmade japanese camellia gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia art print

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia greeting card

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia mug

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia earrings

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia embroidery pattern

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Japanese camellia sticker

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (14 records)

There are only a handful of Alabama flowering records (garden plants are mostly left out of research-grade records), so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe has no Alabama rank for it.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Camellia” (Camellia japonica) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Japanese camellia in 4 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina.

More Alabama flowers

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: May–July
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: May–September
Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata)

Lyreleaf sage

Salvia lyrata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: March–May

Sources