Camellia sasanqua. The winter flowering Camellia

The spring flowering Camellia japonica is a welcome sign of spring and a popular plant choice for containers and ericaceous beds.

In the autumn and winter months, Camellia sasanqua do their thing in a much more subtle and scented way.  Camellia sasanqua flower through late autumn, through winter and until the spring when the Camellia japonica take over. 

The winter flowering Camellia sasanqua is altogether smaller and dainty.  The leaf is much smaller and more pointed in shape.  The flowers are smaller and fragrant with a subtle almost Earl Grey Tea scent.  The sasanqua do not lose their buds as some japonica types do and can be trained against a fence or panel.  In general are slightly faster growing than their spring flowering cousin. 

            

Cleopatra                               Hiryu                                              Hino de Gumo                                                                   Hugh Evans                                  Navajo