Yes, the stems are very corkscrew just like Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. The bloom is not particularly special, but the plant structure makes it very interesting. The habit is spreading (bushy) but I don't know the ultimate size. I had a nice one I found 4 years ago at a nearby nursery (now out of business) but I planted it in bad spot where I later lost it to a root fungus before it got established. (Still bummed about that). I am sure there are some others around here, it was brought over from China by Tom Perkins of southern Mississippi. There may be a stock plant still at the old nursery. I will ask around to see if anyone is propagating it. If nothing else, maybe we can find you a scion to graft. Let me know if you don't find a plant and want us to locate some scions to send you.

Upon further thought, I recall hearing David Parks say that he is carrying this at Camellia Forest Nursery, so he may be able to send you one or give you some further direction. His father Clifford Parks would also be excellent authority on its native growing conditions and ultimate size. I don't think it requires any different conditions than other camellias, but you can see what an expert I am on this plant, having promptly killed mine!! Good luck on finding it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Camellia Forest

Thank you so much Al!

It so happens I already have a small plant of this, and wanted to know more about it, and whether any local gardeners had any info to pass on!

I *much* appreciate your willingness to pass along the info!

I've rooted cuttings of this twice, but found the resulting plants to be very tender, dying in the single digits.

I don't grow it, but it's in Nuccio's catalog, described as "medium upright plant with very unusual zigzag growth pattern. At each leaf, growth proceeds in opposite direction at 45 degree angle. Single, small, deep pink [flowers]. M[edium]."

They also sell their own hybrid "Egao Corkscrew," described as an "outstanding mutation from a great camellia, Egao. Not only a distinctive zigzag growth habit which is super for bonsai, but a beautiful flower form as well. Ruffled petals, semi-double to loose peony form. Pink, medium, spreading growth. M." And they're working on (or may have by now - my catalog's a few years old) Shibori Egao Corkscrew.

I grow the regular Shibori Egao & can vouch for what a gorgeous plant it is (with regular growth pattern).

Once again, for those who don't know: Nuccio's is at 3555 Chaney Trail, Altadena CA 91001, 626/794-3383. No website. During the summer: M-Tu, Fri-Sat 8-4:30 PDT.

Massee Lane Gardens, home of the American Camellia Society, in Fort Vally Georgia, has a couple of 'Unryu' plants growing in the garden.

Here in the Portland, OR area, I bought several at Cistus Nursery, and they were a good buy at I believe $16 for a 1 gallon. They purportedly are also available at Gossler Nursery in Springfield, OR, and Garden World in Salem, OR area. I also saw a couple at Shorty's Nursery, which is in my neighborhood. They were about $16. So at least in the Portland, OR area, you can find them.

Although this Camellia is touted for its unusual growth habit rather than flowers, I really like its flowers. I prefer the simpler Camellia flowers, such as many of the Sasanquas such as Yuletide and Kanjiro. To me, many of the Japonicas such as a lot of the Nuccios look to me so ornate that they almost look like plastic flowers than real flowers.

By the way, on a rather unrelated topic, I saw a hummingbird drinking nectar off the Yuletide Camellias at Shorty's Nursery the other day. And those are kept INSIDE! After sipping on the flower it flew out the front door. I have wondered whether hummers ever feed on Camellias. It appears that they do.

I have not seen good pictures of the shrub showing the way it grows, only pics of the rose colored single blooms... Does anyone have any pictures of the shrub that you can share? And when does it bloom for you? I hear this one blooms "early" and I have been looking for early flowering camellias.

This post was edited by luis_pr on Mon, Jan 27, 14 at 19:29

I have one growing in a pot, currently in bloom, and it's looking fantastic. I bought it at a local nursery here in Baton Rouge. It's about two feet high by three feet wide, and the glazed asian-style pot is thirteen inches across the top and about 18 inches deep. Just repotted it into this pot from a 12"x12" black plastic nursery pot this past year.

I tried it a number of years ago

, but it was very tender and died over winter.

I've had one in my backyard north of Seattle cor about 3 years now. It was small (1 -2 feet) when I planted it, and it's now a little over 3 feet tall (and wide). Very branched, and visually interesting. No issues with disease or cold injury, and we have had some nights in the lower 20s. No blooms so far, so I'm not exactly sure when it will bloom around here.