That lone, red maple tree, planted in 2001 when you moved in, has now been joined by a curtain of other vegetation. Japanese maples, photinias, a lemon tree that wants to be an Olympian power lifter have taken your yard from being a summer heating pad to the shady side of the moon.
All that shade changed your gardening scheme. Plants started growing wonky, searching for sunlight. Flowers are only attempted or have stopped altogether. Some leaves have strange blotchy coloring. The search begins for shade lovers, plants that were not required in a sunbaked world.
There are some old timers that remind you why some things are just better from the past. Like a trusted best friend, camellias are beneficial, traditional, and unique during the off time of year. Camellias provide “carried away” color from fall to early spring. Evergreen, shiny leaves frame different sizes of plants to fill empty shaded spots. Multi-colored, red, pink, white, and yellow flowers flourish in a season when many plants are sleeping.
Two cultivars most in demand are Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua. They have many similarities but differ in the time of year they bloom. Depending on climate, soil, care, and the plant itself, Sasanquas bloom from mid-fall into winter. Japonicas bloom from winter until spring wakes up the world.
Brightly colored blooms ranging in size from 2 inches up to 5 inches engulf a plant. While sasanquas are smaller, they have a joyful fragrance. Japonica flowers have more petals. Sasanquas have more tolerance to sunlight and maybe some heat, but their cousin japonica will take more cold.
If you live in a zone that has moments of artic weather, choose a plant that is cold hardy. Stop fertilizing towards the end of summer; your plants do not need to push new growth. New foliage or new growth will not harden off and will freeze or be damaged in the cold. Add root protection by adding mulch or organic materials covering the ground. As always, keep mulch from covering the base and trunk. If artic cold is coming, build a frame to hang frost cloth or burlap, covering but not touching the plant. If your plant is in a pot, move it to a protected area by your home’s exterior wall. Exterior walls will block the wind and emit heat from the home. The most important thing to remember is all plants, during a cold snap, need water. If your plants are dried out, they will not survive very cold conditions.
Camellias love acidic, well-draining soil. As with most plants, camellias prefer their toes to be damp, not wet and wrinkly. If your soil is dense and not draining, dig your planting hole and fill it with water. A hole that will not drain is a prescription for slow plant death. Just skip the gym and keep digging until the hole drains. Back fill with acidic soil, using organic material or peat moss. Plant your camellia with the root ball 1-2 inches higher than the existing ground.
Mother Nature provides answers to problems we do not recognize until we have them. Camellias, and many other shade lovers, give us opportunities to still plant when our yard makes a permanent change.
Julie Silva is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener of Tuolumne County.
