The word “can’t” is an anathema to me. So when I was told that camellias “can’t” be grown outdoors in the North, my streak of Scotch stubbornness rebelled.
Camellias intrigued me, and catalogs, with long sections devoted to enticing color plates of camellias, offered fuel to the fire.
A casual search of weather records indicated that minimum temperatures around Philadelphia seldom reached the zero point. So the die was cast.
I set out a few varieties of the species Camellia sasanqua. So began a story that has now extended over many seasons.
As a result, my collection has grown from a few plants to over 40 varieties and includes hybrids derived from Camellias japonica and sasanqua.
Camellias Varieties
Naturally, some varieties have proved more adaptable to northern growing conditions than others. However, camellia plants seem to be as hardy as rhododendrons.
I experienced difficulty due to a lack of hardiness in the flower buds rather than in the plants.
To those whose knowledge of camellias is limited to casual contact with a florist’s corsage, let me point out that the native ranges of Camellias japonica and Camellias sasanqua in Japan and China include areas where zero temperatures in winter are the rule rather than the exception.
Types have indeed been developed in and for warmer climates. Unfortunately, these cannot be grown successfully in the North. Still, there are many beautiful hardy camellias.
Two Primary Camellia Species
The two primary species of camellias are Camellias japonica and sasanqua.
Camellias japonica typifies the camellia to the public at large. It is a relatively slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub which, in its native haunts, reaches an enormous size after hundreds of years.
Ancient plants in Japan have achieved a height of 30′ or 40′ feet and a proportionate spread.
For the home gardener, to whom such an immense period is meaningless, Camellias japonica is an evergreen shrub comparable to the rhododendron but of more compact and upright growth.
The blooms are borne singly or in clusters. They are single to fully double and range from 6″ or 7″ inches in diameter.
Colors run from white through pink to deep red. However, there are also combinations or blends of these colors.
The foliage is deep green and glazed to the point of appearing varnished.
Out of bloom, japonicas arc the most handsome evergreens available; in bloom, they are a wonder almost beyond comprehension.
The natural blooming period of this type of camellia is during the winter, and it ranges in the South from September to late April, depending on the variety.
Wide varieties of Camellias japonica can be grown in the North. However, the varieties whose buds mature early, those that bloom during the late fall or early winter in the South, are unsuitable for northern culture.
It is a rare season when most far-too-mature buds are not destroyed by frost; for the North, one must select those varieties which are naturally midseason or late bloomers and which, therefore, will bloom during late March and April in the North.
Buds of these late varieties are set during the summer and bloom the following spring.
The cold of winter does not seem to hurt the immature petals within the bud shield.
Camellias Japonica Varieties
The following is a list of varieties that withstand zero temperatures without the slightest damage.
Berenice Soddy
Semi-double bloom, not so large as some, and lovely warm blush pink with prominent yellow stamens. Plant bushy and spreading.
Marjorie Magnificent
Large, semi-double bloom. Edges of petals are a deep rose, shading to blush pink in the center. Plant upright and vigorous.
Nina Avery
Large, semi-double bloom. Rose to blush pink. Plant spreading and vigorous.
Kumasaka
Large, semi-double, carmine bloom, often speckled with white or pink. Plant upright and strong.
T. K. Variegated
Medium-sized, semi-double bloom. White or pink, heavily striped with deep red. This is one of my favorites.
My T. K. VARIEGATED is now 7′ feet tail and a wonderful sight in April.
Tricolor de Siebold
Similar to T. K. VARIEGATED and just as good. Plant erect and robust.
Victor Emmanuel
Large, very double, deep-red bloom. Plant erect and robust. The latest of all my camellias, it blooms into May.
Mathotiana
Double blooms of a most beautiful deep red. This variety was slightly damaged during severe cold spells. The centers of the buds were tinged with brown.
However, the damage was not powerful enough to keep it out of our list of Camellias and japonica varieties for the North.
Camellia sasanqua and its types have long been regarded as hardier and more adaptable to northern conditions.
However, I have found that this is not necessarily true. The average blooming period of the sasanqua is during the fall and early winter.
Northern gardeners must select varieties of Camellias sasanqua that will bloom early enough to escape the November frosts.
When the frosts arrive, the blooming of the sasanqua is at an end. The remaining mature buds have little or no resistance to cold.
Regarding the plants’ hardiness, there seems to be little difference between the sasanqua and the japonicas.
In other aspects, the sasanqua is pretty different from the japonicas.
Camellia Sasanqua Plants
Plants of Camellias sasanqua are more rapid growers and generally tend to be less upright and laxer. Their foliage is minor, narrower, and more pointed.
They are particularly suited to wall or espalier culture. Since the blooms are small, usually single, and bear immense profusion, they are ideal for a mass display.
Blooming in autumn, plants of the Camellias sasanqua type give color to the garden when all other flowers and shrubs have finished blooming.
They range in color from white to light red. While some varieties qualify for the double title, the singles are more charming.
Unlike the japonicas, all sasanqua have some fragrance. The odor is not altogether pleasing to some people, but I find it fascinating, particularly in MAIDEN’S BLUSH and ROSEA.
It is a slightly musty odor, like the smell of new-mown hay.
Camellias Sasanqua Varieties
The following is a list of Camellias Sasanqua varieties that do well in the North.
Maiden’s Blush
Single bloom from small to as much as 3″ inches in rare cases—warm pink with a hint of orange. The plant is more upright than most sasanqua and blooms profusely. It is the most successful of all the sasanqua in my garden.
Totenko
Produces an abundance of blooms of irregular shape, color, and charm; a rosy pink and more extensive than the blooms of most sasanqua.
Covington
The single blooms are significant for a sasanqua. White with a cool, deep-pink edge. The upright plant in blossom makes a curtain of exquisite color.
Rosea
The oldest of all the sasanqua in Western gardens has the true sasanqua form—almost weeping, the irregular rose-red blooms carried in sweeping sprays along the arching branches.
The culture of camellias is similar to that of azaleas and other broad-leaved evergreens. Correct planting is the real secret of success with camellias.
They require acid soil conditions and good drainage. Protection against too much sun is essential, particularly in the North.
Planting Camellias
I have had the best luck with those camellias planted where they get little or no winter sun and are protected during the slimmer by high shade.
Camellia plants may be obtained in cans or other containers, as bare root stock, or balled and burlapped.
My results with basic root stock have been variable; tiny one-year-old plants are best.
Balled and burlapped store has proved successful if planted in late fall.
Plants received in containers are easily handled at any season, but if planted in spring or summer, careful attention must be paid to watering.
When you plant camellias, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. The spot should have a firm bottom so the plant will not settle too much.
The top of the root ball should be slightly above ground level. Cover with an inch of humus. Mulching with humus will do much to assure good results.
Camellias develop as relatively shallow-rooted plants, and the humus gives them a cool and friable covering.
Camellias are fertilized in the same way as azaleas. Any of the acid fertilizers will do good service.
I fertilize my japonicas in February and June and my sasanqua in August and February.
I have found that the hardy camellias are among the easiest plants to grow. They require minimal feeding and care when once established.
Camellias are worth a bit of time and trouble, for they give great beauty to the garden during their flowering season and are lovely evergreens out of flower.
And they can be grown in the North!
44659 by Richard D. Thomson