Green Thumb (p.7)

By Cheryl Doyle Kearns

A winter garden in North Carolina without the quiet beauty of camellias is, to my mind, missing a key element. Once I knew I was to become a northern transplant myself, I looked forward to raising them. Based on all the literature about the south that I'd read (remember how many times camellias played a part in To Kill a Mockingbird?), I assumed they would be one of the mainstays of my new garden. They are. Every time I venture to Camellia Forest in Chapel Hill (www.camforest.com) for their wonderful variety of rare and unusual plants, I vow not to buy any more camellias. My willpower must be non-existent, because at least two or three find their way into the back of the car. Local garden centers have the same affect. How does one resist a plant that flowers in the dead of winter?

Even in summer, they are attractive. What's the ap-peal? Well, they have few insect problems and although deer may nibble the odd leaf, generally they munch on other delectables, at least in my garden. Consequently, the camellias' dark green, evergreen, leathery leaves are lovely and fresh-looking all year. Sometimes I am attracted to a specimen with variegated leaves, ranging from subtle gold marbling to bolder strikes of yellow.

Camellias are pleasingly shaped, generally forming columns or oval to rounded shapes, although one of my favorites has gracefully arching branches. Heights range from knee-high to the roof line of a single-story house. The plants tend to be thickly branched, thus are as useful for hedges as for a single specimen. Depending on the species, they grow in conditions of shade to full sun, but always manage to look cool in summer.

As with most ornamental plants, though, it's the flowers that are the ultimate seduction. Sweetly scented, somewhat spicy, and in several forms, their shades range from red and pink to white and light yellow. Unless you are an expert, you may have difficulty distinguishing among the accepted seven forms, or shapes, of blossoms. To me, the traditional shape is the "formal double" flower, mainly because I fondly recall it as the corsage of choice for my university's winter festival proms – the perfect flower to complement a floor-length gown. Such elegance!

Simplicity has its charm, too. Single-flowered flowers fluttering like butterflies along the branches are just as beautiful, especially on a slightly warmer day when a light breeze carries their scent. Flowers might also resemble peonies, roses, or anemones, and their forms are so named. Unless you intend to raise them for competitions, however, names of the forms aren't so important, although it helps if you like that particular shape to know it when you go shopping.

In this area, we grow mainly three types, the least familiar being the tea camellia (Camellia sinensis). As you might guess, it is the plant from which green tea is made. The two most popular are Camellia sasanqua, which generally bloom in fall to early winter, and Camellia japonica, the later blooming species. Often referred to as simply "japonicas," they tend to require more shade and have larger leaves and full flowers. All of them look graceful for days in a vase or floating in a shallow bowl.

Although the plant is often considered for more formal designs, such as one on each side of an entryway or to line a walk, they are also attractive in mixed borders or used less formally. The cultivar 'Snow Flurry' gently weeps and when in bloom, often around Thanksgiving to mid-January, is covered in fluffy, small snowballs. On unseasonably warm winter days, you might find a bumblebee attracted to its lightly scented powder puff. This cultivar makes a wonderful foundation plant, getting only 6'-7' tall and wide. You might continue the snow theme by planting masses of white crocuses or early-blooming white narcissus in front of them.

If you need a hot red flower to brighten your winter days, several are available. One of the brightest is 'Dr. J. C. Raulston,' named for the founder of the arboretum at North Carolina State University. Fiery orbs bring cheer to the landscape in February – perfect for Valentine's Day if you need a gardener's gift.

A color breakthrough (yellow) is represented in Camellia x 'Jury's Yellow.' The outer petals are white, but the inner ones are yellow, the blooms thus glowing like lights against the foliage. I find it fascinating that it was bred in New Zealand, but does very well here. While the blooms don't fully open until late winter, a mature plant's white-tipped buds decorate the plant in a manner reminiscent of a cake decorator dotting tiny bubbles all over a large cake. They look even more delicious when open.

Other interesting flowers include those that are red and white variegated. The cultivar 'Governor Mouton' offers a fine example of this trait. Strangely, the variegation is actually caused by a virus, which doesn't harm the plant, but instead makes for a unique color pattern in the flowers. No two are alike on a single plant, making it almost appropriate for Mardi Gras. For a sumptuous pink and white combination, 'Nuccio's Pearl' is indeed a jewel worth savoring in the late winter garden.

Other camellias are appealing for a unique characteristic, such as 'Crimson Candles,' which has a series of pointed buds running up the stem, reminding one of little pink fairy lights. Camellia 'Unryo' is fascinating for its name and its growth habit. The name in Japanese means "dragon in the clouds" and is said to reflect the fact that the branches twist and turn at 45° angles, making it look like a dragon ascending into the sky. The fish-tail camellia gets its nickname from the shape of the tips of the extra long leaves.

If you have pines or other tall trees that let in filtered light, winter-blooming camellias will light up long winter days with their exquisite grace and charm. Your garden should have at least one southern belle!

Cheryl Doyle Kearns is a landscape designer, lecturer, and photographer. She has had a lifelong love of plants, gardening in climates as diverse as Vermont and England as well as North Carolina. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association and numerous other horticultural organizations.