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| Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning |
| The camellia’s deeply colored flowers and glossy, green leaves bring a special beauty to the garden. |
If you live in the Southeast, camellias are a wonderful addition to the garden. Depending on the type of camellia you plant, these evergreen shrubs will bloom in fall and early spring, adding a formal flair to your garden.
The fall-blooming type is Camellia sasanqua, and the winter-spring blooming species is C. japonica. (There are other species, but these are the most well-known and readily available.) The easiest way to tell these two plants apart is by the size of their leaves. C. sasanqua leaves tend to be narrower and smaller than the larger and wider ones of C. japonica. No matter which species you choose, though, you’ll wind up with a wonderful profusion of single or multipetaled blooms! | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning |
This camellia offers a striking contrast of pure white blooms against rich green leaves. |
What’s more, the flowers last a long time and are just breathtakingly beautiful, resembling a peony or a rose. You’ll find them in the white-pink-red ranges.
Be sure to plant camellias in the right spot – in part shade and sheltered from winter winds. These shrubs also like slightly acidic soil. An easy soil test (which you can send to your local Cooperative Extension office) can help you determine if you need to add anything to your soil in order to meet your plant’s needs.
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