By: Harry Surline, Mobile County Master Gardener| www.MobileCountyMasterGardeners.org
November to March is a magical time in Mobile. Camellias, The Queen of Winter Flowers, are blooming. Camellias begin to bloom about November and continue past March. The evergreen bushes are showing their true colors with whites, reds, and combinations of white and red blooms. Plus, some blooms are pink or a variation of purple.
Camellias have migrated from China, southeastern Asia, and Japan over the past 300 years. Now they are also found in Europe, Australia, and North America. Camellias arrived in the South in the early 19th century.
Now camellias are found on the Gulf Coast and north to Pennsylvania and on the west coast from California to Washington. There are now over 200 species and 3500 varieties in the world. The most common camellias are Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Camellia reticulata, and Camellia sinensis. Camellia blooms are divided into six different forms: single, semi-double, anemone, peony form, rose form double, and formal double.
Camellias are very suited to the climate in Mobile. You only need to go to Mobile Botanical Gardens or Bellingrath Gardens and Home to see outstanding collections of camellias.
Camellias are evergreen bushes and can grow in various shapes from small bushes to large trees and can be shaped into hedges or topiary forms. Some camellias such as Camellia sasanquas grow very well in full sun while many Camellia japonicas favor filtered sun. Camellia sasanquas can be planted to form hedges or trimmed and trained into unusual ornamental shapes. Camellias can grow in containers or be a focus plant in your garden.
Camellia sinensis are known as the tea plant. For those of you who want to see tea plants and have a challenge at the same time, go to the Mobile Botanical Gardens and wander through the Camellia sinensis maze.
If you are planning to purchase new camellias, look carefully at the plant label. The label will indicate how fast a camellia may grow: vigorously, slowly, or average; and the shape: upright, compact, or spreading. These descriptions will help you select the best area in which to plant the camellia.
Also, when looking at a camellia plant label, the approximate blooming times are also listed as E (Early-prior to January 1), M (Mid-season-January 1 to March 1), L (Late-March 1 and later). If you are planning to plant new camellias, think about including several varieties that will give you color in your landscape for several months.
There are occasions where you can find a variety of camellias, plus people who can help you select a camellia meeting your requirements and offer good advice on growing practices so you will have healthy, beautiful camellias. The Mobile Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale will have a variety of camellias that grow well in Mobile, plus people who can help you select a plant. The Camellia Club of Mobile has a plant sale on January 18, 2025, where you will also find knowledgeable people to help you choose the best plant for you.
Mobile has two active camellia clubs: Camellia Club of Mobile, meeting at the Jon Archer Center, and K. Sawada Camellia Club, based at Mobile Botanical Gardens. Each club has Facebook pages with camellia photos, articles, and meeting information. The American Camellia Society is also an outstanding source of information.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has recently updated “The Culture of Camellias, The State Flower of Alabama,” ANR-0202, which you can find at www.aces.org. This is an excellent publication that suggests camellias that do well in Alabama and contains information that will help you grow the Queen of the Winter Garden. Happy Camellia growing!
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