Hi! Most M champaca sold in Ca are the type of "less flowering" cultivars. The plant is very vigorous and up right. However it will flower better in LA area than at SF Bay Area. It is likely due to whether factor. Many years ago lots of M champaca were put for sale here but not recent years. Many complaint this plant will not flower as that of M alba. I hope yours will flower nicely as the plant is getting more mature. I saw many plants over 7 feet producing flowers in LA area.

M.champaca will produce a cluster of seeds. mine has three clusters of seed pod now. My M champaca is a different cultivar obtained by my approach graft. The braches are slightly weak and leggy. It will pruduce lots of flower even the plant is still young, 3-4 feet.

The hightlight is the fragrance. It has pronounced aroma. Most time I think the fragrance quality is superior than that of M alba. It has more balanced, fuller and desirsble fragrance. I am going to take pictures to show you.

Hi LongRiver.... it's been a long time since I spoke with you, how are your camelia's doing? When will we be able to buy one of your new scented camelia's you hybridized?
How can I get a Champaca like yours? Why is it different?
Did you get it shipped to you from another country?
Looking forward to the pictures.

It has been awhile since I've logged on to garden web. As longriver has said there are many cultivars of Michelia champaca . The forms that they sell are generally seedlings or cuttings. From seeds, the plants could produce flowers in four to five years. The flower smells varies from musty to a heavy smell (sorry canÂt describe it). I first saw the cultivars that longriver mention in S.F. Chinatown 20 years ago. You can try to graft to decrease the time for flowering . Good Luck, Cal

I ordered mine from Florida on ebay and paid a bunch for it, but it blooms regularly... oh the smell! :o) heaven! It blooms on new growth, I have it in a clay pot and water it heavily here in Sacramento.... I wouldn't recommend THAT in other places, though.

Heathen: Can you post a picture of you Champaca? How tall is yours? Do you have a Michelia Alba also? Which smell do you like better?