Camellias

No southern garden is complete without at least one camellia. I’ve read that somewhere and whether you agree or not you have to admit they are at least an iconic shrub for the south. They appear in everything from literature to the grocery store aisle.

When people think camellia they are usually referring to Camellia japonica, loved for its beautiful early season rose-like flowers in shades of red, pink, and white. There are even a few that might qualify as pale yellow if you look at them sideways. (They’re working on it.) The prolific blooms come in many forms from single to formal double and bloom anywhere from February to April depending on the variety. Add glossy, dark green, year ‘round foliage to the spring flower show and it’s hard to argue they’re not a “must have” for the landscape. Liking acidic soil and shade they fit right in here in the Piedmont. Of medium (6’) to larger (12’) stature they make excellent accent, specimen, or screening shrubs. They do fine in clay soils (just not wet soils) and do not have a lot of disease or insect issues. While they’re not at the top of the deer food list, it is not entirely unheard for deer to browse them, especially and unfortunately those big fat flower buds.

There are also fall blooming camellias, Camellia sasanqua. The flowers and leaves tend to be smaller than their japonica cousins, but they make up for it in the sheer number of blossoms. The best thing about these is the bloom time - October to December. When everything else in the garden is winding down their late season show is just getting started. They grow in similar conditions to other camellias, but have the added advantage of being sun tolerant. A former employer of mine didn’t hesitate to use them in full sun. Another plus for the sasanquas is that there are dwarf (3-4’) varieties out there which are great for foundation plantings or smaller spaces.