Colorful Camellias

Camellia aficionados are often baffled over the origin of this historic plant. Many contend that they originated in Japan (hence the species name, japonica) although some botanists insist that these shrubs came from China and were transported to the Land of the Rising Sun by ancient mariners. What we do know is that all camellias hail from somewhere in Asia and that people have cultivated them for more than a thousand years. The Camellia has become a beloved southern staple with graceful blooms enjoyed by Hampton Roads’ gardeners for years.

Camellias often bloom during the cool season with showy flowers appearing autumn, winter or early spring. The color of the flower ranges from pure white, pink, yellow to dark red and some have multi-colored or variegated blooms. As an evergreen, Camellias provide year-round interest and beauty with their attractive dark, glossy green foliage.

There are an abundance of camellia varieties and sizes for use in your landscape. From shrub-sized to tree-sized, these plants are well suited for foundation plantings, background plantings along a fence or wall, or to adorn the background of a sitting area in the garden. Some camellias are even suitable for raised beds, container plantings or hedges. Some of our favorite varieties include:

Buttons-n-Bows - two toned pink formal flower with moderate growth
Nuccio’s Bella Rossa - crimson red, long spring season bloomer, with tall, upright growth measuring 6-8 feet tall
Lemon Glow - creamy, pale yellow flower with tall, upright growth measuring 6-8 feet tall
Shishi Gashira - hot pink flower with extremely long bloom time, perfect flower for cutting, with shrub-like spreading measuring 4-5 feet tall