Get It Growing for 01/10/25

Trying to find plants that bloom profusely in the shade during the dreary wintertime can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Your options are few and far between: Most flowers need lots of sunlight, and many plants simply do not bloom in the colder months.

But camellia japonicas step up to the plate year after year, brightening shady spots with white, pink, red and multicolored flowers from December to February — and sometimes even later — in Louisiana. They do double duty as an evergreen landscape shrub, keeping their glossy green leaves year-round. And, once established, they’re easy to care for and will live for many years.

“They’re the ultimate low-maintenance shrub,” said Michael Polozola, of the LSU AgCenter. “And winter is the perfect time to plant them.”

Polozola currently serves as the AgCenter’s statewide fruit and nut specialist, but he has plenty of experience with camellias. He previously was a horticulture agent in central Louisiana, which is home to numerous nurseries. Camellias, in fact, are the plant that sparked Polozola’s interest in horticulture. His grandparents were fond of growing and propagating camellias — a passion they passed down to Polozola.

“Camellias are how I learned how to graft, which I’ve carried on into other fields,” he said.

Camellia japonicas are slow-growing, shade-loving shrubs that can reach heights of 6 to 12 feet when mature. These are the plants most people associate with the word camellia — so they’re often simply called camellias. But they are just one of the more than 200 known species in the Camellia genus.

You may have heard of sasanquas, a camellia species that tends to bloom earlier, grow faster and be more tolerant of direct sun than japonicas. Other widely grown species include Camellia hiemalis, a more compact shrub whose most famous cultivar is ShiShi Gashira, and Camellia sinensis, the leaves of which are used to make tea.

Camellia japonicas are so named because they, like most camellias, are native to Japan and other portions of Asia. They’ve been grown in the United States since the early 1800s, and they’re especially beloved in the South, where they thrive through our mild winters in the shade and acidic soils of piney woods.

One of Polozola’s favorite things about these plants is the many colors, variegations and shapes of their blooms. Some are solid colors while others have contrasting stripes, which usually are due to genetic variations, and spots, which typically are caused by harmless plant viruses. Flowers, which range from 2 to 6 inches in diameter, can be found in single, semidouble and double forms.

“What I love about camellias is whatever your preference is flower wise, you can find one that lines up,” Polozola said.

Another defining characteristic of camellias is their long-lived nature.

“If they are happy in that spot, they will be there for your great-grandchildren, if not further along,” Polozola said.

So how do you make a camellia happy? A couple of things are critical, Polozola said: Partial to full shade and slightly acidic, well-draining soil.

Plants will do best in locations that get four to six hours of morning sunlight and dappled shade the rest of the day. Avoid planting in areas that hold water after it rains, and be sure to test the pH of your soil. Amend it, if needed, to reach a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Be sure to apply mulch to retain moisture and insulate the roots from extreme temperatures.

Although we normally think of shrubs as something planted directly into the ground, camellias also can be grown successfully in containers.

Newly planted camellias should be watered regularly. Fertilize in March or April before plants begin pushing out new growth.

Camellias sometimes experience infestations of an insect called tea scale; several products are available to treat this problem, Polozola said. But overall, they have few maintenance needs, making them an easy way to bring sought-after color to gray winter days and shady places where it can be difficult to achieve blooms on other plants.

“They are a great, durable shrub for our landscape here in the South,” Polozola said. “They can really fill that niche and give you that interesting color when it’s dreary outside otherwise.”

LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg is joined by Michael Polozola for a quick lesson on camellia japonicas.

Camellia japonicas are a favorite in Louisiana landscapes. These evergreen shrubs produce colorful flowers in the winter, which also is a great time to plan them. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

The flowers of many camellia japonica cultivars feature stripes, which are caused by genetic variations. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Camellia japonicas produce a wide variety of flower colors, variegations, shapes and sizes. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Camellias are close to the heart of Michael Polozola, LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist. He grew up growing camellias with his grandparents, inspiring him to pursue a career in horticulture. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter