Decorate Your Outdoors with Camellia Sasanqua
If you’d like your outdoors colorful and decorative this holiday season, plant Camellia sasanqua. These camellias are now in bloom and come in many colors, including a variety known as ‘Yuletide’, which has bright red flowers.
“Unlike other types of camellias, which require shady conditions, Sasanqua camellias can handle any exposure and actually bloom more in full sun,” says Vince Hakes, owner of Huntington Garden Center in Huntington Beach.
Sasanqua camellias are available in 1- and 5-gallon containers. They grow from 3 to 8 feet high and 4 to 5 feet wide, with some reaching up to 15 feet.
Growth habits vary:
- Upright growers: Ideal for vertical space
- Spreading varieties: Great for covering wider areas
- Cascading types: Perfect for hanging baskets
Popular Varieties of Camellia Sasanqua
- ‘Yuletide’ – Upright, small single red flowers
- ‘Setsugekka’ – Upright and bushy, large white semidouble flowers
- ‘Apple Blossom’ – Spreading with large white-petaled blooms edged in pink or red
- ‘Chansonette’ – Cascading, with large pink double flowers, great for baskets
How to Grow Camellia Sasanqua Successfully
- If you receive a camellia as a gift, avoid keeping it indoors for more than 10 days to prevent damage from dry, warm air.
- Plant in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Amend garden soil with at least 20% azalea/camellia or acid planting mix.
- For containers, use:
- 12- to 14-inch pots for 1-gallon plants
- 16- to 18-inch pots for 5-gallon plants
- Ensure the trunk base stays above the soil and free from debris.
- Mulch with a 2-inch layer of compost to maintain even root temperature.
- Fertilize monthly (when not in bloom) with an acidic plant food. Avoid fertilizing during blooming season.
- Water deeply when the soil dries out, but don’t let the plant become soggy.
- Watch for aphids in spring and treat with water spray or insecticidal soap.
- Prevent petal blight by clearing dropped leaves and flowers. Dispose of affected debris properly.
- Prune after blooming. Remove dead/diseased wood and shape as needed to encourage upright growth.
December Planting Guide
Even with the busy holiday season, your garden doesn’t have to be neglected. December is a great time to plant flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and bulbs. Transplants are often preferable due to slower seed germination in low light conditions.
Flowers
- African daisy
- Alyssum
- Armeria (sea pink)
- Calendula
- Candytuft
- Carnation
- Cyclamen
- Delphinium
- English daisy
- Foxglove
- Gaillardia
- Hollyhock
- Iceland poppy
- Larkspur
- Nasturtium
- Pansy
- Penstemon
- Poinsettia
- Primula
- Santa Barbara daisy
- Snapdragon
- Society garlic
- Stock
- Sweet Pea
- Viola
- Wildflowers
Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Beet
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprout
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Collards
- Endive
- Garlic
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Mustard green
- Onion
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Peas
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Rutabaga
- Potato
- Salsify
- Spinach
- Strawberry
- Swiss chard
- Turnip
Trees & Shrubs
- Australian fuchsia
- Australian tea tree
- Azalea
- Blue hibiscus
- Camellias (C. Sasanqua)
- Cape mallow
- Flowering maple
- Westringia
Bulbs
- Amaryllis
- Anemone
- Calla lily
- Canna
- Crocus (chilled 8 weeks)
- Daffodil
- Dutch iris
- Freesia
- Gladiolus
- Grape hyacinth
- Hyacinth (chilled 8 weeks)
- Lily
- Narcissus
- Ranunculus
- Tigridia
- Tulip (chilled 8 weeks)
- Watsonia
