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Camellias look great in Mississippi garden
Mississippi Gardens Newspaper and Web Column - November 17, 2003

Camellias are an astounding group of plants from the Far East that have been very popular in the South for generations. Large-scale production of camellias in Mississippi began just after WW II, when J.D. Dean and Malley Wilburn started Dean and Wilburn Nursery near Agricola. At one time, they maintained from 150,000 to 200,000 camellia plants of more than 100 varieties! Today, after 54 years, many of their original stock plants can still be seen at Dean's Nursery in George County.

There are at least 200 species of camellias in the world, but in our climate two types grow exceptionally well and are treasured in Southern landscapes. One is Camellia japonica and the other is Camellia sasanqua. The majority of camellia blooms seen at this time of year belong to the group of sasanqua camellias. Sasanquas are grown for their outstanding floral display in shades of white, pink or red with bright yellow stamens and sizes up to 4 inches across. Their glossy dark green leaves add year-round richness and beauty to the landscape. The beautiful evergreen camellias are quite often used as specimen trees and will also do an excellent job as a screen or hedge.

When planting camellias, prepare the soil well and select a site that is well drained with good sun exposure. Camellias have good sun tolerance and tend to flower more profusely in full sun although they also do well in partial shade. The soil conditions need to be good for your camellias and this may mean adding some compost or well-rotted manure to the planting hole. When first planted they will need regular watering to help them get established. Since they have shallow roots, two inches of mulch will be beneficial to moderate soil temperatures and conserve moisture.

Choosing sasanquas while they are in bloom is a great way to be sure of the floral color and form. Flowers may be single, half double or peony formed. The list of suitable sasanqua cultivars is lengthy. A good way to start your search is to decide what bloom color is desired and go from there. Here are just a few. 'Shishigashira' is currently a popular cultivar having recently received the MS Medallion Award. It has rose pink, semi-double blooms and is considered a dwarf type. A popular white cultivar is 'Snow on the Mountain' (a.k.a. Mine-no-Yuki). It has large, white peony formed blooms. A popular red cultivar is 'Kanjiro' which has semi-double deep red blooms with a silvery sheen on each petal. 'Yuletide' is also very popular. It has brilliant orange-red flowers that appear just in time for Christmas.

There really are a lot of Camellia sasanquas to choose from. Take a trip to your local garden center where you will be able to select one or several. These beautiful, long-lived and nearly trouble free plants look great in any Mississippi garden.

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These archived columns were written by Kerry Johnson, a hobby gardener, former weekly newspaper columnist and an Area Extension Horticulture Agent for 11 coastal counties in Mississippi.