Camellia reticulata, recognized as one of the provincial fl owers of Yunnan Province, serves as the emblematic city fl ower of Kunming. Cultivated for more than 1,500 years, it possesses signifi cant economic, cultural, and social value. In 2010, a total of 37 C. reticulata ancient trees were documented in Kunming; however, their growth conditions and conservation status over the past 15 years remain unclear. Consequently, in spring 2024, these ancient trees were subjected to onsite investigation to assess their health status and viability. The results revealed that 12 of the 37 C. reticulata ancient trees had died, while 25 remained alive. Among the surviving trees, four were over 300 years old, constituting 16%, and 21 ranged from 100 to 299 years old, accounting for 84%. Seven cultivars were identifi ed: ‘Honghua Youcha’ (10 plants), ‘Shizitou’ (4), ‘Songzilin’ (3), ‘Damanao’ (2), ‘Dalicha’ (1), ‘Zaotaohong’ (1), ‘Zipao’(1), and unknown(3). Of these, six trees were tagged, representing a tagging rate of 24%. Cluster analysis indicated that fi ve ancient trees exhibited strong viability, twelve moderate, and eight weak. The fi ndings indicated that the overall survival status of C. reticulata ancient trees is severe, with decline and mortality primarily attributable to factors such as senescence, degradation of the site environment, and inadequate protective measures. There is an urgent need to implement systematic scientifi c rejuvenation and targeted conservation strategies, including enhancing the establishment of a comprehensive database for extant ancient trees, conducting regular monitoring, standardizing the tagging system, applying science-based maintenance practices, and supplementing the population with successor trees. This study can provide a reference for the conservation of ancient C. reticulata trees and related work.