All the Dirt on Gardening

Camellias have historically been a warm-climate flowering shrub.   However, many new varieties are cold-hardy to USDA zone 7 and a few are cold-hardy to zone 6. Camellias are in the Tea ( Theaceae) plant family. Camellia sinesis leaves and buds are used to make the green and black teas we drink. Linnaeus named Camellias after a Jesuit missionary, George Kamel. Tea camellias are native to Southeast Asia where they have grown for centuries. U.S. gardeners began making improvements on the Camellia japonicas in the 1700s and by 1960 cold-hardy camellias became available. Two American breeders, Dr. William Ackerman and Dr. Clifford Parks developed the best hybrids. Camellia kanjaro - Greenleaf Nursery Fall-blooming Ackerman hybrids succeed in our region and include: Winter Star, Winter Rose, Winter Snow, Winter Interlude, Pink Icicle, Snow Man, winter’s Charm, Snow Flurry, Ashton’s Snow, etc.   (See http://alturl.com/2x9dn for an Ackerman article on growing camellia...