Camellia, one of my favorite flowers, blooms each year on my
birthday. There is a hedge of Sasanqua Camellias planted along the back side of my house, which I
started from cuttings while a student at the University of Georgia in Athens. Camellia’s aren’t thought of as
particularly cold hardy (especially Sasanquas); but these have survived several
cold Nashville winters and now stand over 5’ tall.
Sasanqua Camellias bloom earlier and are more demure in
flower and leaf size than their cousin, the hardier Japanese Camellia (Camellia
japonica). Another cousin, the Tea Camellia (Camellia sinensis) is not nearly
as showy as the other species. But its value lies in creating more cold-hardy
crosses, and it is the plant from which tea is made!
The Camellia’s blush white to deep red flower stands out well against
its dark evergreen foliage. And while I have planted specimens of this shrub
for a few clients, I prefer to see them in groupings. My favorite grouping is
at the Founder’s Memorial Garden at the University of Georgia, where Camellia hedges create walls of
lush foliage and colorful blooms.
Between my love of UGA’s campus and my reverence for
cold-weather blooms, I was destined to adore this shrub. Camellia’s are much
more versatile and low maintenance than many realize. For a safe bet on cold
hardiness, select a Camellia variety with ‘winter’, ‘snow’, or ‘ice’ in the
name. Most prefer some shade and moist, well-draining, slightly acidic soil.
