Camellias are the heart and soul of many Lowcountry gardens

Did you know that Henry Middleton invented the camellia? I once overheard that silly pronouncement from a Northern-accented tourist as he wandered through Mr. M's now-famous farm. How he managed to arrive at such nonsense is beyond my imagination, but his pronouncement is a fine example of our confusion about camellias.

Camellias 101

Camellia aficionados often are baffled over the vagaries of this genus' heritage. Many contend that camellias originated in Japan (hence the species name, japonica) although some botanists insist that these shrubs came from China and were transported to the Land of the Rising Sun by ancient mariners. What we do know is that all camellias hail from somewhere in Asia and that people have cultivated them for more than a thousand years.

No one is certain who introduced the camellia to Europe, or when. A plant-collecting Jesuit missionary named George Joseph Kamel often is credited, but some zealously point to the lack of proof that he ever set foot in China or Japan. Yet Carolus Linnaeus, that supreme grantor of botanical monikers, posthumously honored Kamel by bestowing his name on this genus.

The Latin version of Kamel is Camellus, which is pronounced "Ca-MEL-us," and here's the next conundrum: How does one pronounce the word "camellia"? Is it "ca-MEL-ya" or "ca-MEEL-ya"? Most people prefer the latter although I have it on the best authorities that either pronunciation is acceptable.

The local connection

I have no idea if the tourist with the fractured horticultural history lesson knew that there were two Henry Middletons. I didn't stick around to listen. If I hadn't darted behind a giant C. japonica 'Mathotiana' to contain myself, I would have told him that the first camellias were planted at Middleton Place about 45 years after the first Henry Middleton (1717-84) purchased the land. It was his grandson — his namesake — who accepted French botanist Andre Michaux's gift of four C. japonicas in 1786. Three of these specimens still are alive on the plantation grounds, making them the oldest camellias in the United States.

While there are about 200 species that belong to the genus Camellia, only three of them are of interest to most Lowcountry gardeners: japonica, sasanqua and sinensis. When we say the word "camellia," we are usually referring to C. japonica, the evergreen shrub with the showiest of flowers. "Sasanqua" is the epithet for C. sasanqua, and C. sinensis is the botanical name for tea — the stuff we drink.

Japonicas can grow to heights of about 25 feet, but most only reach 6 to 12 feet. Their spread is usually 6 to 10 feet. When planted in the right spot, camellias need little or no pruning. Their leathery, shiny, dark green, serrulate leaves are about 4 inches long. Their growth habit is usually oval although some, such as 'Magnoliaeflora,' have more of a parallel-to-the-ground spreading characteristic.

Sasanquas usually are shorter (1 1/2 to 12 feet tall) than their japonica cousins and their leaf length is about half as long. They can be treelike or short and bushy. Although their flowers are not as showy as some of the camellia varieties, I have seen hummingbirds feasting on their nectar.

Southern splendor

I fail to understand why gardenias and magnolias rank as the quintessential horticultural symbol of the South when the camellia is truly the heart and soul of Southern gardens. Their magnificent blossoms enliven our cool-season landscapes while their evergreen leaves add year-round interest to formal and informal landscapes.

If you once associated wintertime with snow tires and ice skating on frozen ponds, then the only camellia you probably ever saw before moving here either grew indoors or came in a corsage box. However, they thrive in the Lowcountry because our weather, mild winters and high summertime humidity, are similar to the camellia's ancestral lands.

While some still associate camellias with elegance and aristocracy and, therefore, assume they're difficult to maintain, the good news is that if azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) thrive in your garden soil, you can easily grow camellias. Simply offer them filtered sunlight or, at the very least, relief from hot afternoon summertime sun. My only cultural caveat is for folks living near the beaches. Camellias aren't comfortable with salt-laden air and are prone to sulk even in protected places. These lovely ladies also pout when planted in perpetually wet soil.

But unlike those always-popular rhododendrons with their signature narrow window of bloom, gardeners can have a landscape full of camellia blooms from early autumn through late spring.

Lowcountry gardeners usually associate the beginning of camellia season with sasanquas. Although many of these cuties usually don't show off their stuff until shortly after Halloween, some begin to flower a few weeks earlier. Other sasanquas, such as 'Yuletide,' hold off blooming until December or January.

Depending on the variety, japonicas flower from October through April. With more than 3,000 named cultivars to choose from, Lowcountry gardeners have an abundance of choices to achieve continuous camellia bloom throughout our cooler weather. For example, an old Charleston favorite named 'Debutante' is an early bloomer (October-November). Plant it with the midseason-flowering 'Mathotiana' (December-February) and the late bloomer 'Pink Perfection' (March-April) for a continual wintertime show of color.

Do note that these bloom dates are only ballpark estimates. I have seen 'Mathotiana' bloom before Thanksgiving and continue through early April. 'Pink Perfection' has a mind of its own and changes its bloom times from year to year. And while C. sasanqua 'Apple Blossom' is a midseason bloomer, I discovered one flowering shortly after Columbus Day this year.

Colors and forms

Camellia colors range from white to red, and with every imaginable shade of pink in between. Some blossoms are heavily variegated, such as the bright-red-and-white-spotted 'Dixie Knight Supreme.' Others, such as 'La Peppermint,' are delicately streaked with soft pink against a pure white background.

While some camellia books refer to C. japonica as the "common camellia, " there's nothing ordinary about a species that offers gardeners six types of flower forms, from ruffle-shaped peony ones to simple, yet elegant, single shapes. The most unusual design is the anemoniform. The blossom center consists of a raised pompom that is commingled with stamens and petaloids (partly formed petals) and surrounded with large, flat petals in one or more rows. A white variety named 'Lucile Jernigan' is a splendid example of an anemoniform.

So how do newcomers to Southern gardens learn to successfully grow camellias? Because so many people in the Lowcountry are passionate about growing camellias, there are plenty of folks who will gladly assist novice gardeners. The Clemson Extension Service is a good place to start, and the Southeastern Camellia Society always welcomes new members. The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Essex Village Church of Christ on Savage Road in Charleston (www.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.com).

And don't be shy about asking your favorite nurseryman about camellias for our area. Shipments should be arriving soon at our locally owned garden centers. If you don't find what you had your heart set on, don't give up. Supplies will increase as growers release them to retail stores.

P.J. Gartin has been a Charleston County Clemson Extension Service Master Gardener since 1990. She is the author of the book "Some Like It Hot: Flowers That Thrive in Hot Humid Weather" (Gibbs Smith, 2007). E-mail her at askamg@hotmail.com.