I took this photo at my mother's in Williamsburg, VA. I know the butterfly is a Red Admiral, but does anyone know the type of bush it is on? My mom also has anoher bush like it that has white blooms.
Red Admiral on what flower?
That looks like a Camellia Sasanqua to me. Was that photo taken last fall?
You're very good; it was taken last October.
What can you tell me about the bush, anything?
This message was edited Aug 5, 2005 12:27 AM
I love Sasanquas and have them in several colors. They are an easy to grow variety of Camellia and start blooming, in my zone, around late October and continue through December. They can take a bit more sun than the traditional Camellia and are real work horses in the garden. Their glossy dark green leaves make a wonderful backdrop for other plants and they start blooming just about the time everything else is waning.
A lot of folks use them for hedges; they are easily shaped. My favorite is an old one called 'Leslie Ann' which tends to grow upright and narrow. I have the perfect spot for a tall skinny shrub and the flowers are lovely.
Earlier this year I saw some with yellow flowers; most are in the white, pink and red range. I was told the yellows prefer cooler temps -maybe zone 6, I am really not sure.
I suspect Concord is still a bit out of their range; although, you could keep one in a container and shelter it for the winter.
Thank you so much; you're a wealth of information. I'm sure I couldn't get it to grow up here in Concord. We can't even get Dogwood to grow here. I have a hibiscus that we keep out on the deck all summer, but then I cut it back for it's winter stay inside. Is that what I should do with the Camellia? I'll be back in Williamsburg again in Oct. and was wondering if I could bring back some of hers and pot it? Does it give off new shoots like lilacs do, or is it something you can't easily take a cutting from and start a new plant?
You can grow them from cuttings but they are slow growers until they get established. You could air-layer a good sized branch but not until next Spring. You might look around the big box stores when you are visiting VA and buy an inexpensive plant; they should be blooming then and you could pick your favorite colors. That way you can see how it handles being indoors during the winter.
You would prune and fertilize a Sasanqua right after it blooms. Use what ever fertilizer you would use on other acid loving plants like Azaleas and Rhodies.
Thanks so much for the advise and information. I think picking up one while I am down there is the way to go. The yellow sounds intriguing.