It’s hard to believe there is an evergreen shrub that is blooming like this in the winter, despite the fact we’ve had temperatures in the mid-20’s. If this appeals to you, then you need to try the Mississippi Medallion award-winning Shishi Gashira camellia sasanqua.
The Shishi Gashira is an outstanding shrub for the South. When you consider its waxy, leather leaves coupled with blooms as pretty as a rose, you wonder why people would plant anything else.
The Shishi Gashira is a dwarf-to-compact form of camellia sasanqua reaching 36 to 42 inches tall.
Like most camellia sasanquas, it blooms in the late fall and early winter producing hundreds of semi-double, rose-pink blooms. The cheerful pink flowers open to expose bright yellow stamens, making the flower even more beautiful.
Not only is the Shishi Gashira striking in foliage and flower, but it also excels for cold-hardiness, so it can be grown throughout the South.
Sasanquas like the Shishi Gashira can take more sun than the camellia japonica, but they perform best when grown in partial shade.
Before you plant, prepare your bed by working in 3 to 4 inches of organic matter. Dig the planting hole 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball. And be sure to plant the camellia at the same depth it was growing in the container. Finish by applying a good layer of mulch.
Evergreen shrubs provide the good bones or structure that everyone needs in the winter landscape. When they bloom like the Mississippi Medallion Award winning Shishi Gashira Camellia sasanqua, then you have an extra special plant. I’m Norman Winter for Southern Gardening.