SPRING BLOOMING CAMELLIAS

There are a very large number of spring-blooming species, but of these, Camellia japonica is the best known. In central North Carolina we often get a few blooms during mild periods in January but the main bloom season starts in February or March when the weather moderates. In mild climates with little or no frost, the spring-blooming species will begin to flower in the gentle winter season and the last blooms fall off in late April. In general these are upright growing shrubs to small trees with a moderate rate of growth. In ten years, plants will reach 6 to 10 feet tall while ancient (hundreds of years old) plants may reach 30 feet or more.