Camellia japonica is valued for its flowers, which can be single, semi-double or double flowered. There are more than 2,000 cultivars developed from C. japonica. The shade of the flowers can vary from red to pink to white; they sometimes have multi-coloured stripes or specks.Camellia flowers are sometimes used as a fragrance in perfumes and other personal care products. The flowers' sweet and floral scent is often described as similar to that of rose or jasmine.