The jewel of the southern garden, camellias are one of the most versatile and showy shrubs for your landscape. With the right insight and planning, it’s possible to have a camellia garden that blooms from fall until spring depending on the varieties you choose.
Today, we’re going to focus on the fall-blooming varieties of camellia and highlight some of the top choices you can find right now at Meadows Farms Nurseries.
Fall versus Spring
Camellia japonica is the spring-blooming varieties of camellia that begin their bloom cycle in late winter and continue through the first part of spring. For today’s post, we’re interested in Camellia sasanqua, the fall-blooming varieties that begin their blooming in late fall and continue into the first part of winter. So long as you remember these names, you’ll never make the mistake of buying a spring-blooming camellia when you meant to buy a fall-blooming one.
Fall-blooming camellias are generally hardier than their spring-blooming cousins, as well as being more drought and disease tolerant. While most camellias prefer light shade, fall-bloomers can tolerate more sun than spring-bloomers. It’s not all rosy for fall-bloomers, as they tend to be smaller, both in growth and in flower size, than spring-blooming varieties.
7 Best Varieties of Fall-Blooming Camellias
Here are some of the best fall-blooming camellias carried by Meadows Farms Nurseries. Please note that inventory varies between locations, so please contact your closest Meadows Farms location for availability information.
Autumn Moon
This newer addition is a vigorous grower with medium-sized, formal white flowers that bloom in abundance. Autumn Moon is an upright yet compact grower, with a height of around 8-feet but a spread of only around 3-feet. It can work as a foundation or hedge planting but can even work in a container.
Autumn Spirit
This variety has lovely peony-shaped deep pink flowers and rounded upright growth. It can grow anywhere from 4- to 6-feet in height with a similar spread.
Bonanza
This fall-blooming camellia comes loaded with fuchsia-red, medium-sized, peony-like blooms. It’s spreading habit makes it ideal as a hedge planting or a large foundation planting. Grows to about 4-feet tall but spreads around 8-feet or more, so make sure it has room to grow!
Cleopatra
Lovely wavy-petaled, semi-double blooms of light rose-pink with a yellow center adorn this vigorous fall-bloomer. Cleopatra can reach a height and spread of 6- to 8-feet.
Kanjiro
Upright, vigorous fall-bloomer with beautiful rose-pink blooms that are great as cut flowers. Make sure to leave plenty of space for your Kanjiro to grow. It can reach an average of 8- to 10-feet tall and wide.
Survivor
Prized as being one of the best varieties of camellia for cold hardiness, the Survivor can handle most of what our climate can throw at it. Small, single white flowers with patches of pink on the sides adorn this upright camellia, which grows 6- to 8-feet tall and around 5-feet wide on average.
Yuletide
This fall-bloomer will likely get you into the Christmas spirit with its deep red blooms complementing showy green foliage. Yuletide camellia grows to around 6-feet at maturity with a 4-foot spread.
Do you have any Survivor or Autumn Moon in stock in Fred’burg?
Hi Cheryl. As of this morning, we have 3 of each variety listed at our Fredericksburg store. They are in 3-gallon sized pots. I would certainly call them to verify that at 540-786-8171 just to be 100% sure before taking the trip out.
I need a plant to replace a rhododendron that died unexpectedly after 15 years. The location is on the east side of, and next to, the house and it gets minimal sunlight because of adjacent trees and a deck. Would a camellia sasanqua be a good candidate for this location?
Hi, Richard. That area should be fine, so long as there is adequate drainage there. As the area your describing will provide far more sun than shade, you may notice the camellia might not bloom as profusely as others. But as long as it gets a few hours of sunlight in the morning before retreating behind the house for the afternoon, they should be happy there.
Do you have any fall blooming camellias that are trained for an espalier hedge? Will you carry any spring blooming ones in the coming spring?
Hi, Robin. We do not have any camellia varieties that are already espaliered. We indeed will carry spring-blooming camellias next spring, and we may even have some spring-blooming varieties now as well.
Would the Autumn Moon work in partial shade?
Hi, Mona. Yes, the Autumn Moon variety will work fine in a partial shade environment.
Can one of the Fall Blooming Camellias be planted in a container and what about pruning as it reaches maturity? What is available at Burtonsville? I have a Spring blooming Camellia planed by my mom 30 years ago. I have it to remember her by. Joyce
Hi, Joyce. You can certainly start a camellia in a container early on, but if with pruning to keep the shape as it matures, the root system will eventually grow too big for the pot it is in. You can always repot it, but I find shrubs that are constantly repotted tend to struggle as they mature because their roots become too unruly. I know Burtonsville received new camellias, but I’m not sure as to the varieties they have. I would call them directly and they can give you more info. 🙂
Are the fall-blooming varieties deer resistant? How about the spring-blooming?
Hi, Jan. Camellias, both spring- and fall-blooming, are deer resistant. That being said, while deer will usually avoid camellias during their evening scrounging, they could nibble on them if no other food sources are available.
Hi Mike
Would the Autumn moon Sasanqua tree, survive in summer?
There will be shade only in the morning, then get the sun from 11am till sunset.
Thank you
Maria
Hi, Maria. Autumn Moon will do fine in the summer, but for the first few years, you’ll need to be vigilant with watering during the hotter summer days.
In zone 7a, which Camellia varieties grow best in an environment with morning shade and afternoon sun? When is the best time to prune Camellias?
With afternoon sun most camellias will do fine in those conditions. As for pruning, it’s best to prune after they are finished blooming. If you have a fall bloomer, late fall/early spring is fine to prune. If it’s a spring bloomer, late spring/early summer is the best.
I have two very large fall bloomers. They are 6’ tall. Where is the best place to plant them?