Cold-hardy Camellia japonica including the April series

The following varieties are the most cold-hardy C. japonica cultivars available and are the best choice for growing outdoors in zone 6, the coldest area where Camellias can be dependably grown. A protected site is very important when growing Camellias in colder areas and spring planting is highly recommended. The “April series” were selected from thousands of hybrid seedlings and have been named for the time we expect they will bloom in cooler northern areas. The “April series” survived our coldest recorded winter when the temperature dropped to -9^oF. Several of our other selections, some of Dr. Ackerman’s selections and a few old tested varieties are also listed here.

Selections introduced by Camellia Forest are shown in blue.
Selections that are new this year are shown in green.
New Camellia Forest selections are shown in purple.

Where present, thumbnails can be clicked for a larger image.

CF ‘April Blush’ (zone 6B) - ‘April Blush’ grows into the classic Camellia bush with deep green leaves, shell-pink and semi-double blooms. It sets buds freely, and flowers in mid-season. The relatively slow growth guarantees dense leaves and a plant of smaller stature. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Dr. Tinsley’) $12.00 and $50.00

CF ‘April Dawn’ (zone 6B) - The candy-stripe flowers make this a unique plant for several reasons. The flowers are mostly white with a few deep pink streaks which makes it special and occasional branch sports will result in various color patterns such as half deep pink and half white flowers. The formal double flowers are produced in profusion over a long season from mid to late season. The habit of the plant is upright and very vigorous. At first young plants will grow rapidly and after a few years they fill in very nicely. A five foot specimen in New Jersey has bloomed well for several years. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Herme’) $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

CF ‘April Melody’ (zone 6B) - This compact, erect and moderate grower has single rose red blooms. ‘April Melody’ starts blooming early and extends over a long blooming season. This variety was selected because it is a strong grower and very cold hardy. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Rev. John Bennett’) $12.00 and $50.00

CF ‘April Pink’ (zone 6B) - Soft pink formal double flowers remind us of ‘Pink Perfection’ but the plant was one to survive -9^oF in 1985. A few blooms start early and the peak bloom is usually March (mid-season) here in NC. The many petals often shade darker at the edges while the numerous flowers make a good garden display. The plant has compact growth making a nice dense shrub. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Kumasaka’) $50.00

CF ‘April Remembered’ (zone 6A) - This vigorous and fast-growing plant has large, cream to pink shaded, semi-double flowers. The bud set is substantial, and the flowers are produced over a long period from early to late season. This selection is slightly larger in all respects and much hardier than its mother, ‘Bernice Boddy’. I believe this to be one of the hardiest Camellias. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Dr. Tinsley’) $12.00 and $24.00

CF ‘April Rose’ (zone 6A) - This very compact and relatively slow-growing plant has rose-red formal double flowers. The medium sized blooms are very pretty and bloom late in the season. After the severe cold of January 1985, this was the only Camellia among thousands in our collections, to open flowers to any degree, and cold-induced dieback was not recorded in any of the three individuals in our test plots. ( ‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Kumasaka’) $12.00 and $24.00

CF ‘April Tryst’ (zone 6B) - An erect plant with a medium growth rate forms a nicely shaped plant with bright red, anemone-form flowers. It has a heavy bud-set and flowers over a long period in the middle to late part of the season. In many varieties, dense clusters of petaloids in the center of the flower are easily damaged by cold before the flower opens; however, this clone opens flowers of good quality after periods of very cold weather. (seedling of ‘Yours Truly’) $12.00 and $50.00

‘Betty Sette’ (zone 6B) – This Dr. Ackerman selection has medium pink formal double flowers late in the season. The leaves tend to be dark green and somewhat rolled under making them appear rounded. The plant has slow and compact growth. (‘Frost Queen’ × ‘Variety Z’) $12.00 and $24.00

CF ‘Classic Pink’ (zone 6B) – This outstanding new cold hardy variety has pale-pink formal double flowers very late in the season. The medium sized flowers usually open from early to late April here in NC. Almost as nice as the flowers is the very shiny narrow foliage. The plant has a slow growth rate with a tendency to form many branches so that the shrub develops into a upright rounded shape without pruning. This plant has a plant patent and has been released by several large nurseries. Plant Patent #12,614 (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Kumasaka’) $12.00, $50.00 and $100 TOO LARGE ($24.00 size sold out)

‘Frost Queen’ (zone 6B) -This very nice white semi-double has glossy and dished leaves. The bloom season is mid to late and the plant is a moderate grower. This is a fine plant for the landscape and also a good seed parent for those of you doing hybridization. ‘Frost Queen’ was selected by Dr. Ackerman for cold-hardiness in a field trial of plants originating in northern Japan. $12.00

NEW ‘Ice Follies’ (zone 6B) – The bright pink flowers of ‘Ice Follies’ are large and semi-double and appear in March and April. The plant has upright growth. (C. x williamsii ‘November Pink’ × C. oleifera) $12.00 ‘Jerry Hill’ (zone 6B) – This cultivar developed by Dr. Ackerman has rose pink formal double flowers late in the season. The plant has dense and upright growth with broad, glossy, and dark green leaves. (‘Frost Queen’ × ‘Variety Z’) $12.00 and $24.00

CF “Korean Camellia japonica” (zone 6A) -These are selected clones from a group of plants collected on the north end of the range in South Korea. The plant has early single red blooms on a compact plant with rounded dark green leaves. $24.00 and $50.00

‘Kumasaka’ (zone 6B) – One of the oldest Camellias recorded in literature, this variety has been grown in Japan since 1695. The peony form blooms are a deep rose color and open late in the season. This plant has proven to be exceptionally cold hardy. $24.00

‘Kuro Delight’ (zone 6A) -This plant has the darkest red flowers of any of the cold hardy Camellias. The medium sized maroon red flowers are usually semi-double. At first the plant has slow spreading growth but becomes a moderate upright grower once planted in the ground. The leaves are long and narrow like those of a peach tree. $12.00 and $24.00

NEW ‘Longwood Valentine’ (zone 6A) – A large number of C. japonica from Korea were planted in exposed fields at Longwood Gardens in eastern Pennsylvania. After many winters most of these plants still flourish and this cultivar was selected for early bloom. The blooms are small singles of rose red color. $15.00

NEW ‘Maidens of Great Promise’ (zone 6B) – The origin of this plant is reputed to be somewhere in Ohio which would mean it is super cold hardy. This has done well in the Philadelphia, PA area so this does have good cold hardiness. The medium pink peony form flowers are produced in large numbers on a compact plant rather late in the season. $24.00

NEW ‘Meredith’ (zone 6B) – This older cultivar has proven to be quite cold hardy in the Washington, DC area. The semi-double flowers are pale pink fading to red at the tips. $24.00 ‘Paulette Goddard’ (zone 6B) – This dark red anemone to peony form flower blooms mid-season (March into April). This is one of the “old” varieties which survived zone 6 winters here in NC as well as further north. $12.00

‘Pink Icicle’ (zone 6B) – This hybrid from Dr. Ackerman has shell pink, semi-double to peony form flowers in early spring (February into March). The dark green leaves tolerate winter sun well and make a nice background for the large flowers. This is a very vigorous plant that grows to 10 feet tall in six years and is disease resistant. (C. x williamsii ‘November Pink’ × C. oleifera ‘Lu Shan Snow’) $24.00

CF ‘Red Aurora’ (zone 6B) -The semi-double to rose-form flowers are large and of a strong, rich red with a hint of pink and are produced in the middle of the Camellia bloom season. The plant form and growth rate is excellent and it is very hardy. The leaves are relatively large. (‘Snowbell’ × ‘Midnight’) $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

CF ‘Red Jade’ (zone 6B) - One of a few Camellias to survive the -9^oF cold in 1985, this plant bears light red semi-double flowers in great profusion. The flowers start to open early in the season which is usually in late January or February for us. Since the plant makes so many buds it can still be blooming in early April. This moderate grower forms a nicely shaped bush with a compact habit. (‘Bernice Boddy’ × ‘Midnight’) $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

CF ‘Spring’s Promise’ (zone 6B) -The rose-red, single flowers are produced in late fall, during warm periods in the middle of winter and into the early spring; thus the promise of spring. ‘Spring’s Promise’ was selected for use in the garden landscape because of its excellent plant form, tendency to flower freely and tolerance of sites with slightly poor drainage. $12.00, $24.00 and $50.00

CF ‘Stellar Sunrise’ – This is the solid pink sport of ‘April Dawn’. The deep pink formal double flowers often have incurved petals and bloom from mid to late in the season. The plant is very vigorous and upright growing with large dark green glossy leaves. Like ‘April Dawn’ this plant develops into a very handsome landscape plant with a heavy bud set. (Sport of ‘April Dawn’) $12.00 and $50.00