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Introduce abundant blooms to your garden even in the cold, dark season with Sasanqua or Winter-blooming Camellias. Camellia sasanqua is a great low-maintenance plant with shiny, deep green leaves that do well in shady spots and bright, long-lasting winter flowers that come in many styles and colors.
Winter Camellia blooms from October to February, depending on the variety. It is native to Japan and not as common as its spring-blooming counterpart, Camellia japonica. Even though each flower only lasts a few days, each plant blooms for at least six weeks thanks to its many buds. The flowers are often fragrant and hummingbirds and other winter pollinators love them.
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Camellias are a popular flowering shrub known for their beautiful blooms and attractive evergreen foliage One of the best things about camellias is their incredibly long blooming season, which can last for months on end. But exactly how long do these flowering shrubs bloom for? Let’s take a closer look at the camellia’s blooming habits
Camellia Blooming Seasons
Camellias generally fall into two main categories – fall blooming sasanqua camellias and winter blooming japonica camellias. However with the right variety selections it’s possible to have camellias blooming in your garden from early fall until spring.
Fall Blooming Sasanqua Camellias
Fall blooming sasanqua camellias start flowering as early as September and continue blooming well into November. Some popular long blooming sasanqua varieties include:
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‘Apple Blossom’ – Blooms September to November with creamy white flowers edged in pale pink.
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‘Setsugekka’ – Produces single white blooms from September through early winter.
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‘Yuletide’ – Blankets shrubs with cherry red blooms from October to January.
Winter Blooming Japonica Camellias
Winter blooming japonica camellias start flowering in late fall or early winter and continue blooming into spring. Some top performers include:
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‘Debutante’ – Displays large, fluffy pink blooms resembling peonies from November to March.
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‘Lady Vansittart’ – Produces abundant red, pink, and white blooms from January through April.
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‘Donation’ – Flaunts orchid pink flowers from January to March.
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‘Carter’s Sunburnt’ – Charms with soft pink and cerise blooms from February to April.
Hybrid Camellia Varieties
In addition to japonicas and sasanquas, various hybrid camellia varieties offer extended bloom seasons. Two popular hybrids are:
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Camellia x williamsii ‘Anticipation’ – Blooms heavily with rose pink flowers from October to May.
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Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’ – Produces orchid pink blooms from January to March.
How to Maximize Camellia Bloom Duration
With thoughtful variety selection, it’s possible to have camellias blooming in the garden for up to 7 or 8 months of the year. But even without multiple varieties, individual camellia plants can put on lengthy shows. Here are some tips to maximize bloom time for your camellias:
Select Long Blooming Varieties
When choosing camellia varieties, pay attention to bloom duration. Some varieties flower for just 2 to 4 weeks while others will bloom for up to 3 months. Opt for camellias touted as “long blooming” or “prolific blooming” to maximize floral displays.
Provide Optimal Growing Conditions
Like most plants, camellias will bloom best when their basic needs are met. Make sure to plant camellias in rich, acidic, well-draining soil, give them afternoon shade, and water during dry periods. Healthy, happy camellias produce more blooms over a longer timespan.
Apply Light Fertilizer in Spring
Feed camellias with an acidic fertilizer in early spring after blooming concludes. This will provide nutrients to support extended flowering next season. Avoid over-fertilizing which can cause buds to drop prematurely.
Allow Flowers to Fall Naturally
Don’t remove spent blooms from camellias. Dropping faded flowers cleanly from the plant allows new buds to open. Deadheading or pruning too early cuts next year’s flower buds and reduces total bloom time.
Protect Buds from Extreme Cold
In very cold climates, protect camellia buds with a layer of horticultural fleece to prevent frost damage and promote longer bloom seasons. Bud drop often results from cold winter temperatures.
Give Young Plants Extra Water
Be sure to thoroughly water newly planted camellias. Supplemental irrigation during dry periods encourages stronger root systems and more prolific flowering.
Camellia Bloom Times By Region
Due to climate differences, camellia bloom times vary around the world. Here’s an overview of typical bloom seasons based on region:
United States
- Southeast: October through May
- Pacific Northwest: November through April
- Southwest: December through March
- Northeast: February through April
Europe
- October through May
Southern Hemisphere
- April through September
So in mild climates, gardeners can enjoy nearly continuous camellia blooms for 7 or 8 months. While in colder regions, the flowering display lasts for a shorter but still impressive 2 to 4 months.
Outstanding Long Blooming Camellia Varieties
Here is a more extensive list of camellia varieties that bloom for months at a time:
Japonica Camellias
- ‘Roger Hall’ – Bright red blooms from November to April
- ‘Mathotiana Supreme’ – Formal double pink flowers from January to April
- ‘Bob Hope’ – Large semi-double red blooms from February to April
- ‘Tomorrow Park Hill’ – Violet flowers from January to April
- ‘Dr. Tinsley’ – Medium pink double blooms from November to March
Hybrid Camellias
- ‘Spring Festival’ – Pale pink formal double blooms from January to May
- ‘Lady Clare’ – Large blush pink loose petaled flowers from October to March
- Camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’ – Soft pink peony blooms from October to March
Sasanqua Camellias
- ‘Showa-No-Sakae’ – Abundant bright pink single blooms from September to December
- ‘Jean Pursel’ – Semi-double white flowers with pink streaks blooming October to January
- ‘Yuma’ – Loads of small fuchsia pink blooms from September to November
Enjoy Months of Colorful Camellia Blooms
If timed right, it’s possible for gardeners to have camellias in bloom from fall until spring by using a mix of early, mid, and late season varieties. Even individual plants can put on a stunning show for up to 3 months when provided with ideal growing conditions. Give camellias a try in the garden for an easy way to brighten up borders and containers with months of spectacular blossoms.
Winter Camellia Varieties & Selection
Modern plant breeding has made it possible for many cultivars and hybrids of Camellia sasanqua to be sold in garden centers. These plants have a wide range of beautiful flower shapes and colors, as well as different bloom times and sizes when they are fully grown.
Here are our 7 Favorite Winter Camellias for Pacific Northwest gardens:
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Comes from the sasanqua plant family and is called “Yuletide.” Its clear, true-red flowers and starry yellow stamens make for a beautiful display that peaks in December. The plant grows 8–10 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide and has a strong, vase-shaped upright habit. It does best in partial sun and does best in bright northern exposure or eastern exposure.
Camellia sasanqua ‘White Doves’: Red-edged, fully double white petals are arranged around a small yellow center, and White Doves blooms a lot in the winter. This shrub grows slowly and has a loose, upright, and open shape. It gets 6 to 9 feet tall and 6 to 9 feet wide.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink-a-Boo’: This is a fairly new cultivar. Pink-a-Boo is an unexpected sport of ‘Yuletide’ that has been grown for its big, pinky-coral single flowers with a nice, sweet, mild scent. Like Yuletide, this Winter Camellia grows 8–10 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide and stands upright. It does best in partial sun.
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Buttermint is a medium-sized shrub that grows camellias. It has small, button-shaped, formal double flowers that are creamy white with butter-yellow centers. Close your eyes and inhale the mild fragrance that is reminiscent of sweet buttermint candies. The Winter Camellia does best in part-shade and blooms from late winter to early spring. It grows to be 6 feet tall and 4–5 feet wide.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishi Gashira’: This evergreen camellia grows 4–5 feet tall and 6–8 feet wide and has an upright and slightly spreading habit. It blooms with rosy-pink, semi-double flowers from November to January.
The name of this camellia, Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka,’ means “Show, the moon, the flowers” in Japanese. It refers to the simple beauty of nature. The plant is strong and slightly weeping, and it grows straight up. From November to December, it has big, wavy white semi-double flowers. Setsugekka can handle some sun, but its flowers look their best in partial sun. It grows 8 to 10 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Apple Blossom’: Apple Blossom Winter Camellias are beautiful in almost any garden because of their soft color and sweet scent. The white petals have pink edges and are arranged around bright yellow stamens that look like stars. It grows 9–10 feet tall and 9–10 feet wide.
We love Jury’s Yellow (creamy white), Taylor’s Perfection (soft pink), and Chansonette (bright, true pink) Winter Camellias because their blooms are even fuller.
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Designing a Garden With Winter Camellias
Camellia sasanqua is a hardy, easy-care evergreen shrub that deserves a place in every garden. Because they don’t grow too fast or too slowly, you can grow them in pots and enjoy them for more than one season, or you can plant them in your yard around mature trees and shrubs.
The abundant flowers of Winter Camellia are extremely popular with overwintering Anna’s hummingbirds, regardless of their color. There is almost always a hummingbird nearby when a camellia is in bloom. The sweet nectar in the flower and the bright yellow, pollen-covered stamens in the middle of each bloom give hardy pollinators protein when they are out looking for food on mild, sunny winter days.
One plant can be tucked into almost any corner of the garden to make that spot brighter in the winter. For a unique and attractive hedge, group Winter-blooming Camellias together. They fade into the background in the summer but stand out when other plants are dormant. Because they are easy to prune after the flowers die, camellia sasanqua are often shaped into espaliers or small trees.
Plant a single Winter Camellias in a pot to act as an evergreen and low-maintenance container planting. Many seasons will pass without any problems for the camellia in its pot. All it needs is water and some organic fertilizer.
Camellias also make the perfect “thriller” centerpiece to a large container planting in combination textural grasses and annuals. In the winter, they will make a splashy focal point. In the spring and summer, they will provide straight growth and structure to set off bright annual combinations. At any point, Camellias can be removed from the container scheme and transplanted out in the landscape.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_ src=”https://dennis7dees. com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dennis7Dees-Holidays2023-109_web2. Here are some holiday plant and pot combinations from Dennis’s 7 Dees. The title of the picture is “Yuletide Camellia with Outdoor Ceramic Planter in Matte Black.” The builder version is “4”. 23. 1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4. 23. 1″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”Poppins|700||on|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”].
Camellia sasanqua flowers don’t last long after they’re cut, but the glossy green leaves and strong buds look beautiful in any flower arrangement.
Magnolias, Japanese Maples, Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Hosta, Hellebores, Ferns, Heuchera, Carex (Sedge), Japanese Forest Grass, Spring-flowering bulbs
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