If you’ve never been to the Camellia festival at the Portland Japanese Garden in Feb/March you really wouldn’t know that there are fantastic Camellias out there (not just the raw hamburger colored doubles that you see in front of every house). We got this amazing cultivar there and we are always on the lookout for the very true reddest Camellia. This is one of those. Glossy bright green serrated leaves make a wonderful upright growing shrub to 8′ x 4′ in 7 years. In February-April semi double huge true deep red/black flowers appear- they are profuse over the whole plant. Full sun to shade in rich, well drained soil. Regular summer water to establish then a bona fide low water plant. Woodlands, Ann Amato’s garden. Wonderful color early in the season.
Biome: Dry Shade
Dry shade offers a particular challenge to PNW gardeners. In fact, it can be the hardest location to satisfactorily grow plants. Many gardeners have dry shade, a tall canopy of Douglas Fir or Oregon White Oak or even neighborhood street trees that can conspire to rob plants not only of light but water as well. And to complicate matters, the more you irrigate dry shade near trees the more tree roots you get and the more competition for your lovelies. The solution is to depend on plants that have these three adaptations: dry tolerance, root competition, low light conditions.
We’ve amassed a list of plants that really will thrive in these conditions. A good deal of these plants are native to the forest understory in Asia, they are built for serious competition with Bamboo. Many of our very best dry shade plants are from the Pacific Northwest and already inhabit dry woods. Invite these plants into your garden, they play an important role.
Prepare the soil as you would any rich perennial border. Add and incorporate compost and mulch. Give each plant a handful of all organic fertilizer to speed root growth and establishment and water faithfully for the first season. In these conditions an annual application of mulch is not obscene and will reap great rewards. In time you can water much more infrequently.
Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW
Camellia japonica ‘Yamoto Nishiki’
Extraordinary Higo Camellia that is wildly showy and fun to grow. Higo Camellias are a form where the stamens rather than being clustered together in the center are instead splayed out in the shape of a star against smaller flat petals. They are surprisingly rare in the United States. Its a different look for a japonica and we love it. Moderately fast growing handsome glossy evergreen shrub for full sun to shade. To 8′ x 5′ in 7 years. Regular summer water speeds growth and increases flower bud set. Mid-season bloomer with flowers opening from February on. Rich to average soil, definitely apply ample mulch when planting. Good looking shrub at all times- w/ a somewhat formal appearance until the blooms open. 4″ wide flowers have flat petals that are white striped and stippled in peppermint red. Takes low water conditions when established. Long lived.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Rare, obscure, insanely heavy blooming fall and winter blooming Camellia sasanqua. Individual flowers are not formal or stiff, instead the the petals are separated, loose and vivid pink. They appear en masse from October to January and decorate the lithe arching stems in pretty cascades of flowers. Blooms are exceptionally cold tolerant for a sasanqua enduring temperatures into the low 20’s and still remaining fresh. No bother though as a parade of buds exists to replace spoiled blooms. Full sun to quite a bit of shade- without the expense of blooming. Fast growing, vigorous open shrub that takes well to pruning in spring to encourage density- build blooming wood. Rich, to average well drained soil with light consistent summer water. A very wild and informal appearing Camellia and we love it. Glossy deep green foliage. To 5′ x 7′ and arching. Light flower fragrance.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Kanjiro’
Not all Sasanqua Camellias are created equally and though they all bloom in autumn to winter some have much studier flowers that are beautiful as well. ‘Kanjiro’ is an ancient Japanese cultivar and to this day it is still one of the finest. The large double dark pink flowers are exceptionally weather tolerant and will even survive freezes into the upper 20’s. Even if flowers are spoiled by frost a seemingly never ending supply of buds replaces the flowers quickly, in fact a this is a natural phenomenon for this shrub. You often get your best displays right after a freeze when the thaw begins. Otherwise its a non stop procession of flowers from October to December. Large growing evergreen shrub with very handsome dark foliage that is good looking year round. To 10′ tall x 10′ wide in 12 years, it may be pruned to a much smaller size or espaliered on a wall which will protect the flowers from the vagaries of weather. Moderately fast growing with regular summer water in full hot sun. Established shrubs are very tolerant of summer drought. Long lived. There is a light earthy fragrance to the flowers. Long long season of bloom. Very nice with Grevillea x ‘Leanne’ for a prolific blooming winter display.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Otome Sazanka’
This is one of my favorite fall blooming sasanquas. Beginning in November and continuing to about the first of the year it produces copious double flowers of a soft, antique pink. The shading of the petals give the impression of an aged flower. VERY pretty. Very dark green foliage is glossy on an upright and then distinctively arching shrub to 3′ x 5′ in 6 years. Give this elegant shrub room to spread, it will grow faster than you think. Full sun to part shade in rich soil with regular summer irrigation. Established plants can survive on just several drinks per summer. This sasanqua does not have the sweet earthy fragrance that many do. The soft pink 3″ wide flowers are born in profusion. Very easily trained as an espalier. Open flowers are cold hardy to about 27ºF. Incipient flower buds are much hardier. Good looking shrub year round. Very elegant late blooming sasanqua that is welcome late in autumn. A very old Japanese selection where this species is native.
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’
Brilliant flower color cast on huge semi-double flowers are but one advantage to this handsome evergreen shrub. An upright pillar shaped habit makes it a great plant for tight spots or as a hedge or screen. To 8′ tall by 3′ wide in 8 years. The enormous 5″ wide opulent flowers are a a clear and ringing coral. Showy from quite a distance and the entire shrub is clad in blooms from late January to March. Glossy pointed foliage is handsome year round. Somewhat formal dense habit lends it to small gardens, structural shrub. Full sun to quite bit of shade in rich to average soil with regular summer water for the first several seasons. Benefits greatly from a layer of mulch after planting. Tosses its spent flowers which do not cling and discolor. Excellent shrub for Japanese themed gardens. Long, period of bloom.
Camellia x ‘Wirlinga Bride’
Fantastically graceful Camellia of complex parentage. Large spreading and arching Camellia with small glossy leaves and from 1″ distinctly pointed flower buds open masses of 2″ wide yawning flowers. The interior of the pure white flower is decorated with the yellow stamens. Most of the flowers point downward in a dainty pose that adds to this Camellias grace. To 8′ tall x 8′ wide and branching in large divided boughs that give the impression of wings. The intensity of the white flower color is amplified in the darkness of winter. Blooms late January through March. Immensely graceful and floriferous this has none of the strict formal look of most other species. (C. tsaii x C. cuspidata) x C. fraterna ) Luckily this Camellia includes the ultra hardy C. cuspidata and is not tender in the slightest. Flowers are hardy into the upper 20’s and masses of incipient buds means that the show starts again post freeze. The small fluted flowers fall cleanly from the shrub and collect in a pure white carpet. Rich soil with regular irrigation. Takes less water as it gains establishment. Part shade to full sun. A protected location helps the flowers deal with the vagaries of winter weather. Wonderful Camellia that we love at Xera.
Camellia x lutchuensis ‘Cinnamon Cindy’
She’s a great girl this Cindy. Small semi-double flowers open blush and change to sugar white. Intimately, they have the spicy sweet fragrance of cinnamon – especially on the warmest winter days. A profuse bloomer that grows as an open small tree in time. The handsome deep green semi-glossy foliage is good looking at all times. Before the flowers discolor they drop cleanly to the ground. Blooms late December to March. To 6′ tall and 3′ wide in 5 years. Average to rich, well drained soil with light, consistent summer moisture. Easy to grow wonderful fragrant reward of winter. Best grown as a free standing small tree. The cinnamon fragrance is very noticeable on calm winter days.
Camellia x lutchuensis ‘Minato no Akebono’
This lovely winter blooming Camellia hybrid includes the fragrant species C. lutchuensis and has simple HIGHLY perfumed pink flowers. The 4″ open single flowers have fluted petals that are medium pink with darker pink stains at the petal tips. Fast growing shrub that shows excellent hybrid vigor. Glossy evergreen leaves are perfect year round. Open branching pattern features the clusters of cinnamon scented flowers from December to March. To 9′ tall and 4′ wide in 8 years and progressively larger after that. Full sun to quite a bit of shade in rich to average well drained soil. Consistent summer moisture ensures superior flower bud set. Elegant Camellia that will perfume a wide part of the garden. Mine is visited by happy hummingbirds in winter. Open growing shrub. Flower fragrance is spicy, sweet cinnamon and wafts on the winter breeze. Very heavy blooming cultivar.
Camellia x lutchuensis ‘Spring Mist’
Exceptional C. lutchuensis hybrid that imparts sweet fragrance to the profuse semi double blush flowers in late winter to early spring. Extremely heavy bloomer the smaller flower cluster in groups along the boughs- quite unlike other Camellias with a massive display . These sprays of fragrant flowers weigh down the boughs and the whole shrub is covered in blooms. Grass green matte foliage is a handsome backdrop to the small (3″) but profuse bloom. Part shade to shade in rich, moisture retentive soil with adequate drainage. Not as tolerant of full sun as other Camellias. Consistent summer irrigation ensures a larger flower set. To 6′ x 4′ in 6 years. Tough and elegant. Takes dry shade very well and still blooms profusely.
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