(To-tsubaki, Yunnan Camellia)

A large, winter-blooming, evergreen shrub (or small tree) from south-central China, Camellia reticulata has long been admired and cultivated for its profusion of large, single, rose-pink flowers. This relatively hardy camellia is native to upland forests in western Guizhou, southwestern Sichuan, and Yunnan.

This rather slow-growing, dense, upright shrub has upright, gray-barked branches and leathery, oval, dark-green leaves with paler undersides. The leaves have netted veins and finely...

(Big Dipper Camellia, To-tsubaki, Yunnan Camellia)

The huge, semi-double, carmine-pink blooms of 'Big Dipper' open in winter, early in the camellia season. This open-pollinated seedling of Camellia reticulata 'Dali Cha' was selected by Houghton Hall of San Anselmo, California.

This large, upright, rapidly growing shrub has ascending to spreading, gray-barked branches and leathery, oval, dark-green leaves with finely toothed margins. Each flower has about 19 large, undulating petals surrounding a central cluster of pale yellow stamens...

(Dora Lee Camellia, To-tsubaki, Yunnan Camellia)

The huge, semi-double, bright-pink blooms of 'Dora Lee' open toward the end of the camellia season. It originated in 1983 at Gene's Nursery in Savannah, Georgia, from a cross between the Camellia reticulata hybrids 'Valley Knudsen' and 'Jean Pursel'.

This large, upright, rapidly growing shrub has ascending, gray-barked branches and leathery, oval, dark-green leaves with finely toothed margins. Each flower has numerous large, slightly wavy petals with a few smaller "petaloids" at its...

(Eden Roc Camellia, To-tsubaki, Yunnan Camellia)

The large, semi-double, midseason blooms of 'Eden Roc' have shell-pink, crepe-textured petals. This open-pollinated seedling of a "wild form" of Camellia reticulata was selected by David Feathers of Lafayette, California, in the mid-1970s.

This large, upright, vigorous shrub has ascending, gray-barked branches and leathery, oval, dark-green leaves with finely toothed margins. Each flower has numerous large, irregular, wavy-edged petals surrounding a central column of white stamens with...

(Camellia, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights -- fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooms of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

Glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins are held on thin stems. The plants can have...

(Agnes O. Solomon Sasanqua, Camellia, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights - fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooming jewels of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

The cultivar ‘Agnes O. Solomon’ has glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins....

(Asakura Sasanqua, Camellia, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights - fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooming jewels of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

The cultivar ‘Asakura’ has glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins which are...

(Bert Jones Sasanqua, Camellia, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights - fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooming jewels of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

The cultivar ‘Bert Jones’ has glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins which...

(Bonanza Sasanqua, Camellia, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights - fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooming jewels of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

The cultivar ‘Bonanza’ has glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins which are...

(Camellia, Cleopatra Sasanqua, Sasanqua )

Warm days, cool nights - fall and it’s time to look for the colorful blooming jewels of Camellia sasanqua. These evergreen shrubs don’t get as much attention as their more popular cousin, the large-flowered common Japanese camellia, but they should. Native to Japan, sasanquas, as they are known to garden enthusiasts, have a long history of use for tea, oil and ornament.

The cultivar ‘Cleopatra’ has glossy, thin but leathery, elliptical, dark green leaves with toothed margins which...