I usually gather a few sasanqua seeds after they ripen and then play Johnny Appleseed by planting the seeds in out-of-the-way places where they can germinate and grow undisturbed. Camellia seeds germinate as easily as garden beans. Years ago, I planted sasanqua seeds along a steep terrace; and today, those seedlings are large shrubs. Most are pink. A couple are white, and there are a few japonicas mixed mixed in with the sasanquas.

You may have to choose varieties that are not upright and which tend to spead sideways, like Shi-Shi Gashira, Bonanza, Chansonette, etc. The leaves may be bigger and -maybe- not as dense as the ones in your rose bush picture too so check those two things as well as the amount of sun that the camellia will be exposed to in that location. Sasanquas can handle more sun than japonicas but it still would pay to provide it with afternoon shade, evenly moist soil (no dry cycles followed by moist-dy-moist-etc), acidic soil (will tolerate some alkalinity and you can always amend with garden Sulphur, liquid iron-chelated compounds, etc once or twice a year) and 3-4" of organic mulch. Note: this time of the year, local stores may not carry a good selection of camellias and mail-order/Internet stores may delay shipping due to the hot conditions at airports and planes. A new crop of selections will arrive "soon" but "soon" will vary widely based on stores, even local ones, but I would say it may occur as early as September-October and as late as November-December. The best local approach may be to bother someone at a local store who can answer when do they expect camellia shipments to start.

Hello, Doug. Here are some comments about your questions. 1. Most camellia roots are shallow but some may grow deep as time passes. If you plan to have a camellia there for a few years only (10-20) then I would not worry. Camellias grow ever so slowly that you may have to wait decades for the plant roots to pose a serious problem. Some of mine add about an inch a year but others can grow more. By the way, if properly cared for, camellias can grow hundreds of years; click here for some awesome examples. 2. Depends on your definition. Dense shade will affect the bloomage somewhat. However, you can plant a camellia under another tree, for example, and the indirect lighting will compensate for lack of direct sun. But if you plant it in really dense shade conditions then the plant may grow fine but produce few blooms. After all, some sun is needed to develop the flower buds. 3. The cement from the foundation leeches lime and that causes the soil near the foundation to become alkaline. Camellias will tolerate that up to a point so the further away from the foundation, the better. Most of us suggest planting camellias about 4' away. If your house is old, the foundation will still leech some lime but not as much as a new foundation would. 4. Camellias need soil that is acidic (pH between 5.5 and 6.8) and well draining. But as I said, they tolerate alkaline soils up to a point. My soils are definitely alkaline in Texas but I apply ammendments to lower the alkalinity in Spring of every year. More important is to maintain the soil moist -not wet- as often as you can. Add 3-4" of any type of acidic mulch up to or past the drip line. You can fertilize in March/May/July with cottonseed meal or a general purpose slow-release fertilizer (NPK Ratio of 10-10-10 is fine). 5. Yuletide is a very common camellia. But camellias are probably not found in large numbers in stores until the weather gets cold. What is out there now may have been shipped last winter. Provided they were ordered by the nurseries, Yuletides can be found in local nurseries as well as Home Depot and Lowes so check around when the shipments come in. You could also order online too and even visit Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, NC. I have included a link below to the American Camellia Website. It has information on fertilizing, etc so go over it when you have some time. Luis Here is a link that might be useful: Camellias Requirements by the A.C.S.

I have the same experience with Yuletide. I have two, both planted in 2001. One in more shade, the other in more sun. My shade plant had about 10 flowers last year, a monstrous display! As of a few days ago my sun plant had a single open flower, on the tip of lowest hanging limb. I spotted at least one bud on the shade plant, perhaps it could have others. Despite the paucity of flowers I still really like Yuletide. I like the dark green foliage and the very formal growth. Of course I love the flowers most of all. I have always liked the single flowered Camellias best. I like to see the "beard" of stamens.