Another Perfect Plant: Sasanqua camellias

My grandmother planted a flowering shrub for each of her grandchildren that would bloom each year on the day they were born. But I was born in late November, a month better known for its state of decay than for its flowers. While the options were more limited, my grandmother knew what she was doing. She planted a Sasanqua camellia, which she trained up and over her front arbor. Thirty years later, my grandmother has passed away and the house has changed hands, but the camellia continues to bloom each autumn, welcoming visitors up the front walk.

While I may be predisposed to love these late bloomers, Sasanqua camellias have many great qualities that anyone can appreciate. They light up the garden from October through January, a time of year when many other flowering plants are dormant. Graceful and upright in form, they look great in a variety of settings: in a large pot by a front door, espaliered against a wall, or planted in mass and maintained as an informal hedge. One of their best traits is that they bloom sequentially and drop their petals shortly after they are done, thus avoiding the soggy mess of blossoms that cling to their spring-blooming counterparts.

There are a variety of cultivars, blooming in pink, white and red. I prefer the single flowers for their more naturalistic, almost wild-rose-like appearance. I also like them because they provide a late season source of pollen for Anna’s Hummingbirds, which overwinter in the Seattle area. Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ is especially luminous, with its large, semi-double white flowers and bright gold stamens. Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ is another favorite and is perfect for Christmas because of its bright red flowers and glossy, dark green foliage. There are also many cultivars with double flowers for those who prefer a more formal appearance.

Sasanqua camellia hedge