For those gardeners who are regularly on the lookout for evergreen shrubs or shrubs which bloom late into fall and early in the spring, look no further than the Camellia family.  These fabulous plants offer both of these benefits as they have gorgeous waxy, broad green leaves and provide varietals which produce showy blooms during cooler weather.

Within the Camellia family are two main branches, camellia japonica, blooming in early winter and spring with bigger leaves, and the camellia sasanqua, the hardier of the two which blooms in the fall with smaller leaves and blooms.  The sasanqua are a bit hardier, more disease resistant and more drought tolerant of the two varietals.

In the last ten years there have been some new sasanqua varieties developed which can tolerate temperatures below zero, so the camellia is now available to far more gardeners.  These varietals have names such as Polar Ice, Winters Fire, and Winters Rose, reflecting their abilities to thrive during the winter.  Nature’s Friends Landscaping can help you locate these hybrids and then place them into your landscape appropriately.

The majority of camellias do not like to be in full sun so if you decide the location be sure they are receiving shade from hot afternoon sun.  In addition they need to be planted a bit high so that water will run away from the root ball, and not too close to any large trees which will pull water away from their roots.

As always, make certain you are placing this lovely shrub where it can achieve its full glory, most of them are fairly large plants so double check the mature size before placing it into the ground.  Then stand back and prepare to be amazed at the blooms and the wonderful nature of the camellia family.