camellias

[sylviagreen]

Which camellias are best for the DFW area? Sasanquas, japonicas, or hybrids? The nursery seems to think they all do well. I'm looking for something to bloom in cold weather, when everything else is asleep.

[Leslie Finical Halleck]

sylviagreen wrote: Which camellias are best for the DFW area? Sasanquas, japonicas, or hybrids? The nursery seems to think they all do well. I'm looking for something to bloom in cold weather, when everything else is asleep.

Most garden camellias are cultivated varieties or hybrids of three species: Camellia japonica, C. sasanqua and C. reticulata. Varieties of the species C. sasanqua bloom during fall and winter, while varieties of C. japonica and C. reticulata bloom in early spring.

Varieties and cultivars of C. japonica are by far the most popularly used in the South. They also happen to be the most cold hardy of the three species I just mentioned. The reticulatas are the least cold-tolerant of the three and they also aren't very tolerant of hot-humid summers - so you don't seen them grown often in North Texas.

Sasanquas are considered to be somewhat easier to grow than japonicas and can be used as large hedges as well as specimen plants and as background shrubs in borders. On the other hand, the japonicas tend to be smaller shrubs with more impressive blooms than the sasanquas.

I would recommend using a variety of C. sasanqua if you're looking for something to bloom from late fall through the winter. 'Alabama Beauty' is a good variety for our area that blooms pretty heavily with a rosy pink 2" bloom. It is a larger hedge-type variety. It is still possible to loose blooms on the sasanquas if we experience a hard freeze - especially if the plants are in an open windy area - but usually they will be ok.

Be aware that camellias are likely to require considerable attention to watering, mulching and soil health - and they do prefer a more acidic soil that we have here naturally.

Hope this helps!