This is the time of year when camellias, the workhorses of my Zone 9 winter garden, get their moment in the sun (so to speak).
I haven’t always liked camellias, but over the years one of my favorite gardening friends has convinced me of their reliable winter beauty.
As I look around my garden, I have to laugh as it seems she’s been very persuasive. I have dozens of varieties in my garden and am so thankful that I do! When its cold and rainy outside I can’t deny I’m happy for these bright spots of color in my garden!
One of my very favorites is my camellia sinensis. It grows near my front door and is covered with teeny-tiny white flowers for months at a time. Apparently its young leaves can be processed for a source of tea, hence its common name ‘tea plant’.
Another must-have is camellia ‘Scentsation‘, one of the few varieties that actually has a scent (other than the traditional earthy beet-like smell).
I like to pick a flower and float it in a shallow bowl of water, enjoying its perfume and color for several days.
Camellia ‘Apple Blossom‘ is another beauty, and flanks the other side of my front door.
Don’t forget that all camellias need a few hours of sun in order to bloom. I have so many people who call me wondering why theirs never gives them flowers, and the answer is almost always because its planted in the deep shade.
I love the overstuffed, double flower of ‘Debutante’ – especially the bud. It always reminds me of a Peony.
The soft, pearly pink of the ’Magnoliaeflora‘ camellia is so elegant, especially combined with the deep, dark green leaves.
There’s 2 main types of camellias: Japonicas (big and hulky – the kind our grandmothers grew) and Sasanquas (lighter, more vine-y habit and can take more sun). This is a Japonica, as is the ‘Debutante‘ above. The rest of mine are Sasanquas.
I think my favorite of all is Camellia ‘Setsugekka‘. It’s a vining, airy variety that kicks out the flowers for months on end, starting in late fall.
I’ll even get flowers in the summer – go figure! And its frilly, bright white flowers really brighten up darker spots in the garden.
I’m curious – what are some of your favorites?
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
What a joy to be able to grow these beauties!
It truly is, Joey! A joy and EASY!
Nice to know about Bloom Day. Those beautiful flowers made my bloom day.
I grew up in South Carolina, and our yard had a huge hedge of Sasanquas that flowered deep pink every winter. I LOVED them as a child and made bark boats with cargoes of camellia flowers that I floated on the pool. It’s one of my earliest memories of a plant I loved. It is a treat to see yours. While they grow well in east Texas, Austin is not as hospitable for them.
Pam – what a lovely image you’ve created!! Bark boats filled with camellias floating on your pool….
Well, I have no idea where in your garden so many Camelias are hiding! It’s not such as large plot — how do you do it? Beautiful blossoms. Happy bloom day!
thanks so much for the explanation of bloom day. i noticed flowers on a lot of the garden blogs, and bloggers alluding to this, but didn’t get what it meant. at least i can mark my calendar now for february! as far as camellias, you’ve helped raise my appreciation level!
I planted new camellias at our Oxford, NC home (North Piedmont area west of Raleigh/Durham) in early November. We have not moved to the house yet and no one was there for about 3 weeks over Christmas. My husband returned and some had lost their leaves…now, it has been really cold there; but, I did not think Camellias lost their leaves. I believe it might be because they got too dry while he was gone having been newly planted. He says the stems are still alive. Do you think they will recover in the Spring? I would hate to lose my beautiful plants. I was told they could be planted that late in the year. I hope the roots have not frozen…any ideas?
Hi Patricia – you might be right in assuming the camellias got too cold. Especially considering they weren’t watered (you probably realize this, but in order to withstand a freeze, the plants should be fully hydrated). If the stems are still green, I would bet they’ll bounce back in the spring. So sorry to hear about your poor babies!!
Good morning, Rebecca! Thank you for visiting me. I live in the Sacramento area. My camellias have large buds on them, but haven’t bloomed yet except for my yuletide camellia which I photographed for Blooms Day last month. I have photographed so many around town that are in full bloom like yours. I just can’t get enough of them. If you haven’t seen the February issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, there is a beautiful article on camellias that I think you would enjoy.
Thanks Elaine – I have MSL sitting on my table but haven’t had a moment to read it yet. I just now moved it to the top of the pile (sorry catalogues…you’ll have to wait!)
And Laguna Dirt – I hope to see you at next month’s Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!
I love the C. sinensis! I saw some at my nursery and just thought they were a novelty for people wanting to grow the plant tea comes from. But it really looks like it’s got a really delicate presence. Thanks for changing my mind about this plant!
I have to go to our local botanical conservatory to see camellias! They’re beautiful and I would grow them if I could. I love your “tea plant!” The blooms sort of remind me of the woodland peonies.
When I finally saw Camellias in person, I finally understood all the fuss. The ones I saw were in NC. Here, they are sold, but not very popular. We have such drying winds.
Happy Bloom Day friend.~~Dee
I love camellias, and your collection is lovely. Here in CT, they’re not hardy, but I do keep a couple of sasanquas in pots that live indoors right now, just finishing their blooming.
Oh my Rebecca, those the sweetest camellia flowers~I’ve one camellia~”White By The Gate” which has been beaten up by the last two cold winters and dry summers, so I am looking for a replacement! I am going to check out yours, especially Camellia ‘Setsugekka’.. gail
Hi Gail – Setsugetta is a fantastic one to try. I’ll keep my fingers crossed it thrives in your garden!
James – It can be hard finding C. sinensis but I highly recommend it, if not for novelty’s sake for the fact that it blooms its heads off for months at a time!
Lovely camellias. I’m still waiting for mine to bloom.
What a wonderful collection of Camellias!
No GBBD for me with deep snow cover here and more expected today plus no flowering houseplants so I am enjoying the Southern Hemisphere gardens and yours! Love the camellias.
You won’t find Camellias in my zone 5 garden so it is a treat to see them in your post, and to find out how many varieties there are.
Now, I think I’ll go sip a cup of tea, made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, while I look through more bloom day posts!
The camellia sinensis by your front door is so charming and welcoming! You’re blessed to have so many beautiful blooms in January
You have a great collection of Camellias, my lone one has 5 buds on it this year……sigh, one day!
Thanks Cat and Darla! Yes, this has definitely been a bumper year for camellia blooms in my garden. Some years there’s not so much, some years a ton….
Thank you very much for explaining the meaning of “Bloom Day”, I didn´t know it before!
I love Camelia´s but Berlin is much too cold for them, here you have to have a green house for them and all the other nice plants I would like to grow in my garden… Maybe better, because I have so little space
Hi Gesine – thanks for stopping by…all the way from Berlin, too!
Camellias are one of my very favorite flowers. I’m envious that you have so many different ones. Isn’t it amazing that some of them look like roses, while others look like peonies?!
Hi Elaine – I don’t know why it took me so long to fall in love with camellias, but I’m so glad I finally jumped on the train! Yes, some look like roses, some like peonies – they’re all beautiful!