Camellias in 5b

I've been meaning to take pics of this plant for a few weeks. Tonight the forecast low temps may make the flowers mush, so I finally got some pics today.

Camellia 'Snow Flurry'

Here is a close up

You're able to grow camellias in MO? Wow!

Very nice pics, too.
Mike

that's a beauty....I agree WOW in your zone

That looks like Camellia japonica but even so, in MO---wow!

I am sorry, I think I meant Camellia sasanqua.

Liveoaklady, you are partially right. 'Snow Flurry' is an Ackerman hybrid, with parentage from C. hiemalis, C. oleifera, and C sasanqua. Here is a list with the hardiness: http://members.aol.com/camsoc1/ACKERMANCOLDHARDYVARIETIES.htm

I killed a couple of these before I got it right. They require protection from winter winds. This specimen has been in the ground 3 years, under oak trees, protected on 3 sides by a yew hedge. It seems to like a decent layer of shredded oak leaf mulch in fall and leaf mold in spring. The blooms and buds on this plant have survived a couple of hard frosts. Nice plant in just the right place.

That's a very pretty Camellia. It says it wants to come to my home. heheheh Now I definately need to get a couple more. Ahh enablers. Love em! : )

I only just found this thread so I thought I would comment too. I had a Snow Flurry that I got quite a few years ago from Camellia Forest Nursery, that I grew in a pot for years. It got to be about 5' tall and across. I loved it during its fall bloom. left it out as long as I could, then took it in to a cool sunporch or later greenhouse. One Thanksgiving it was still outside and I was out of town and the temps went down very close to zero F -- less than 5 degrees anyway. I thought for sure it was a goner -- the pot itself even froze solid. It was like that for several days at least. But the plant came in after that and recovered fully. Eventually I lost it, can't recall exactly how, though I know it had become so potbound that was an issue. I had the impression it was a pretty hardy camellia.

I have always loved camellias and have grown some of the smaller ones as potted plants. I had tried several of the Ackermans outside without much success. I overwintered a Winter's Rose at my old place for a couple of years. But in my new garden there are some extremely protected spots where I am trying a couple more -- last winter, the soil did not even freeze fully close to the house. So I have a 'Winter's Rose' that is tucked up next to the house. We'll see.

One problem for wanna-be camellia growers in my area is that winter low temperatures are not the only problem. Falls are colder than they are in many parts of zone 5b. So even though our winter lows may not be any lower than in MO or KY, for example, the fall weather doesn't stay warm long enough to get the fall blooming camellias to bloom.

I'll have to stop trying to grow camellias and grow more vinurnums instead........

I'm trying C. oleifera. Going into its first winter. I'll let you know.

Scott

I caught a few blooms on one of mine today.

Stressbaby: 'Snow Flurry' looks very similar to a group of white blooming camellias in the old Greensboro Cemetary. The camellias are about 20 ft tall, bordering the drive around the edge of the cemetary. The others in this tall informal hedge are single fuschia colored sasanquas. All happily blooming away since early November.

Escambia Guy--is that a japonica blooming this early? The earliest one here is Prof Sargeant which nearly always is in full bloom for Christmas decorations. It is bright red with a ruffled center and very prolific.

Oh. I forgot to mention--this camellia hedge is in an area of the cemetery where there are a lot of live oak trees. It seems to be a happy relationship.

It does seem a bit early to me too. I have six of them and this one is the only one blooming. The others are deep red. All of mine are over 40 years old so I don't know if they have a cultivar name.

Escambia Guy: I have old camellias as well. My place won the 1939 camellia show here. Many have been lost due to weather and lack of care. I do have a camellia that looks like yours, but I just checked it. It has a lot of buds, but probably wont bloom for a few weeks. I do have one japonica that is in full bloom. It is a large ruffly double--deep rose but sporting like crazy. Some of the blooms are rose pink, some are pure white, and some are spotted red and white. The sasanquas are all blooming happily, all over town. I think I will mark the 'snow flurry' in the cemetary and see of I can start some cuttings next spring.

I have never had any luck at rooting camellias.

Air-layering seems to be the recommended form of propagating camellias.http://www.mobilecamellia.org/Camellia%20Culture/Air%20Layering/airlayer.htm

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/STGOseptember99.html#camellia

here's another one on camellia propagation. the secret is hardened cuttings