Introduce abundant blooms to your garden even in the cold, dark season with Winter-blooming Camellias.
Camellia sasanqua, or the Winter Camellia, is a fantastic low-maintenance plant with shiny, deep green evergreen leaves that are perfectly adapted to shady locations. Native to Japan and less common than their Spring-blooming counterparts Camellia japonica, Winter Camellias bloom from October through February, depending on the variety.
Winter Camellias are colorful, long-blooming shrubs with flowers that come in an array of styles and hues. Although each flower only lasts a few days, the prolific buds mean that the bloom time on each plant spans six weeks. The beautiful flowers are often fragrant and are an essential and beloved food source for hummingbirds and other Winter pollinators.
Designing a Garden with Winter Camellias
Camellia sasanqua is a hardy, easy-care evergreen shrub that deserves a place in every garden. The moderate growth habit means that they can be grown in containers and enjoyed for multiple seasons, or planted into existing landscapes around mature trees and shrubs.
The abundant flowers of Winter Camellia are extremely popular with overwintering Anna’s hummingbirds, regardless of the flower color. When a Camellia is in bloom, there is almost always a hummingbird nearby! In addition to the sweet nectar found in each flower, the bright yellow, pollen-dusted stamens in the center of each bloom also provide protein for hardy pollinators out foraging on mild, sunny winter days.
Planting Winter Camellias in the Landscape
A single specimen can be tucked into virtually any corner of the garden to brighten that area when Winter arrives. Used en-masse, Winter-blooming Camellias make an unexpected and attractive hedge that fades into the background in the summer months but takes center stage when other plants are dormant. Easily pruned after flowers fade, Camellia sasanqua are frequently formed into espaliers or shaped to look like small trees.
Planting Winter Camellias in Containers
Plant a single Winter Camellias in a pot to act as an evergreen and low-maintenance container planting. The Camellia will live happily in the container for multiple seasons with little care required beyond watering and a bit of organic fertilizer.
Camellias also make the perfect “thriller” centerpiece to a large container planting in combination textural grasses, Heuchera, and annuals. They will act as a splashy centerpiece in Winter, and then provide upright growth and structure to act as a backdrop to flashy Spring and Summer annual combinations. At any point, Camellias can be removed from the container scheme and transplanted out in the landscape.
Winter Camellias for Cut Flowers
Though Camellia sasanqua flowers don’t last very long once cut, the glossy green foliage and sturdy buds are a lovely addition to a Winter floral arrangement. Mix with the foliage of evergreen ferns or conifers for added texture, or display them on their own for a simple yet striking display.
Best Companion Plants for Winter Camellias
Winter Camellias look fantastic when planted near other evergreen partial shade plants, or as a feature against dormant shade-loving shrubs or perennials.
- Companion Trees: Magnolias, Japanese Maples, Stewartia
- Companion Shrubs: Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Sarcococca
- Companion Perennials: Hosta, Hellebores, Ferns, Heuchera, Carex (Sedge), Japanese Forest Grass, Spring-flowering bulbs
Our Favorite Winter Camellia Varieties
A wide variety of Camellia sasanqua cultivars and hybrids are available in our garden centers and offer an impressive range of flower forms and colors, fragrance, bloom times, and mature plant sizes. Below are a few of our favorite Winter Camellia varieties that shine in Pacific Northwest gardens!
Yuletide Camellia
Yuletide Camellias amp up the holiday cheer with their clear, true-red single flowers and starry yellow stamens that put on a marvelous display that peaks in December and is adored by hummingbirds. The Yuletide plant has a strong, vase-shaped upright habit with small, deeply green leaves and performs best in partial sun, making it ideal for bright Northern exposure or Eastern-facing aspects. Grows 8–10 feet tall by 8–10 feet wide, but will stay smaller in containers.
White Doves Camellia
White Doves has romantic and ruffly, fully double white petals arranged around a small yellow center. This Camellia is absolutely smothered in white blooms in Winter. A moderate growing shrub, White Doves has a loose, upright and open habit and is well-suited to landscape beds. Grows 6–9 feet tall by 6–9 feet wide.
Shishi Gashira Camellia
Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishi Gashira’ is an evergreen with shocking, rosy-pink semi-double flowers arranged around bright yellow stamens. Often one of the earlier Winter Camellias to bloom, it begins in November and finishes its show at the end of January. Shishi Gashira is unique in its form, with an upright yet spreading, sprawling habit. Grows 4–5 feet tall by 6–8 feet wide.
Setsugekka Camellia
In Japanese, Setsugekka translates to “snow, moon, and flowers” and refers to the simple beauty of nature, and this gorgeous, understated Winter Camellia lives up to its name. Setsugekka features elegant wavy, white, semi-double flowers with clear yellow centers in November and December. The plant itself is vigorous and slightly weeping, with an upright growth habit and large. Setsugekka is fairly sun-tolerant, but the best blooms are produced in partial sun. Grows 8-10 feet tall by 8–10 feet wide.
Pink-a-Boo Camellia
A relatively newer cultivar, Pink-a-Boo is an unexpected sport of Yuletide that has been cultivated for its large, pinky-coral single flowers with a pleasantly sweet, uplifting fragrance. Like Yuletide, this Winter Camellia has a strong upright habit and performs best in partial sun in containers or in the ground. Grows 8–10 feet tall by 8–10 feet wide.
Chansonette Camellia
Pink, fully double flowers are absolutely stunning on Chasonette, a profusely blooming Winter Camellia that better resembles a Spring Camellia. This moderate growing plant has a low, spreading habit that makes it particularly well-suited to use in the landscape as a Winter cut flower. Grows 2–3 feet tall by 8 feet wide.
Buttermint Camellia
Buttermint Camellia forms a medium-sized shrub with adorable, small, button-like formal double flowers that are creamy-white with butter-yellow centers. Close your eyes and inhale the gentle fragrance that is reminiscent of sweet buttermint candies. This Winter Camellia grows best in partial sun and blooms from late Winter into early Spring, making it a gorgeous companion plant for Hellebores. Grows 6 feet tall by by 4–5 feet wide.
Apple Blossom Camellia
The charming coloration and sweet fragrance of Apple Blossom Winter Camellias make them a beautiful fit for gardens that prize romance and subtlety. In keeping with its name, Apple Blossom features white petals that are edged in pink and arranged around bright yellow, starry stamens. Grows 9–10 feet tall by 9–10 feet wide.
Winter Camellia Planting, Care & Maintenance
Sasanqua Camellias grow slightly faster than the Spring-blooming japonica species and have smaller leaves.
Sun, Soil & Watering Needs
Winter Camellias prefer filtered sunlight or protection from hot morning or afternoon sun, though mature plants may be tolerant of more sun. They are best grown in areas with some shelter or protection from cold, drying winds, which helps keep their vulnerable buds from being damaged during extreme Winter weather.
Grow Camellias in well-drained, slightly acidic soil, and prevent plants from sitting in standing water. Mulch the root zone to help retain soil moisture and improve winter hardiness, and provide supplemental water from July to September during flower bud formation to increase flower size and quantity.
Fertilizing & Pruning Winter Camellias
Fertilize Camellias with an All Purpose Organic Fertilizer or an Acidic Organic Fertilizer at the end of their bloom cycle to promote healthy green growth, and again in late Summer to improve flowering in the coming season. Prune Camellias after blooming to control size and shape and to avoid damaging the following year’s flower buds.
Common Winter Camellia Pests & Diseases
Stressed plants are more likely to be troubled by pests and diseases, while Camellias planted in the right environment rarely suffer from issues. Potential pests include scale, aphids, and spider mites. Camellias are also susceptible to several fungal diseases, especially in areas with poor drainage. Camellia plants are considered somewhat deer resistant, though flower buds and petals may be munched occasionally.
To introduce some life and energy into Winter planting schemes and containers, there is no better plant than Camellia sasanqua. With a wide range of flower colors guaranteed to attract hummingbirds, these low-maintenance evergreens couldn’t be a better fit for shady Pacific Northwest gardens. Visit us in store to see their stunning display in person, and browse our full inventory online!