Episode 51: Grumpy’s Best Camellia Tips

About This Episode

In this week’s episode of Ask Grumpy, Steve Bender, also known as Southern
Living’s Grumpy Gardener, raves about a fall-blooming camellias. Plus, tips on the South’s most beloved flower.

Question Of The Week

I live near Columbia, South Carolina, and am thinking about using Sasanqua Camellias as an informal evergreen hedge for privacy and pretty fall flowers. What do you think?

Grumpy Gardener Answer: I love the idea. For those of you who don't know what a Sasanqua Camellia is, it's one of the two main species of Camellias that we grow here in the South. Sasanquas are the ones that bloom in the fall, and then maybe a little bit into the winter and so they give us a season of bloom we don't normally expect. They're extremely showy and colorful and if you're going to be growing something as an informal hedge or a screen, there is one type that I especially recommend to you, and that's a variety called Yuletide. Yuletide gets its name because it often blooms around Christmastime. It has really pretty red flowers with yellow centers. And it also has a very upright habit. So it's a natural for trimming into an informal hedge or a privacy screen. So, if Camellias are what you want, Sasanquas are what you want, I say, you should go out and get some Yuletides and you'll be very happy.

Tip Of The Week

When To Prune Camellias

Okay, that depends on the type of Camellia that you have. There are two big classes of Camellias that are grown here in the South.

1. One is the Sasanqua Camellia. Its botanical name is Camellia Sasanqua. That one blooms in the fall and so it's very popular this time of year because it's one of the really scarce sources for lots and lots of big showy color in the fall. Now, because it blooms in the fall, it's forming flower buds in the summertime. I'd like to prune it in early spring, that way I know thatit's past its bloom season but it hasn't started producing flower buds for the next year. So if you prune it in early spring after it's finished blooming in the fall and maybe a little into the winter, it has plenty of time to put on new growth and flower buds for the next fall.
2. Now, probably the most common Camellia that we have here in the South is the big one that's called Common Camellia, or Camellia Japonica, or a lot of people will just call them Japonicas. "Oh, you have such pretty Japonicas." Okay, well, they bloom generally starting in winter and then they'll go through the spring. So you have to push back the pruning part a little bit farther. I would say on the Camellia Japonicas, the common Camellias, the big ones, I would probably start pruning those in early summer. And again, that gives them plenty of time to put on lots of new growth and so you won't be cutting off all the flowers for next year.
   

About Ask Grumpy

Ask Grumpy is a podcast featuring Steve Bender, also known as Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener. For more than 20 years, Grumpy has been sharing advice on what to grow, when to plant, and how to manage just about anything in your garden. Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Be sure to follow Ask Grumpy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.