Please id this Camellia flower

[dpien]

Hi, this Camellia looks like a C. japonica cultivar but it opened its flowers in late Fall/Autumn. I thought this could be due to us living in zone 10.

Can anyone perhaps identify it? I found it half-dead and unlabelled at a small nursery a couple of years ago, so have no clue which species or hybrid it may be...

Hoping that someone on here may by chance have one of these, or can i.d. it!

Any questions - please send me an e-mail...THANKS!

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Filename: unknown fall blooming camellia.jpg | |Download: |+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Jeff Layman]

If it is flowers late in the year, it will be a Camellia sasanqua or hielmalis cultivar. Various ones are shown here, but none are yours, unfortunately.

[David E. Ross]

I am in USDA zone 10a. My Camellia japonica and C. sasanqua both bloom November through February, depending on the variety. Descanso Gardens (formerly a camellia plantation for supplying cut flowers to florists and about 40 mile from my house) is best seen December and January.

There are so many varieties that look almost alike that only an expert can identify your plant. You might try the American Camellia Society at , which has a "photo encyclopedia".

[dpien]

Hi, thanks for the replies, much appraciated info.

I think it may indeed be a Camellia sasanqua, perhaps 'Cotton Candy' or 'Jean May'

Would be nice to hear if anyone on here has one of these Camellia's and perhaps has some pictures to compare...

Thanks again

I am in USDA zone 10a. My Camellia japonica and C. sasanqua both bloom November through February, depending on the variety. Descanso Gardens (formerly a camellia plantation for supplying cut flowers to florists and about 40 mile from my house) is best seen December and January.

There are so many varieties that look almost alike that only an expert can identify your plant. You might try the American Camellia Society at

'American Camellia Society'

which has a "photo encyclopedia".

[David E. Ross]

C. sasanqua 'Jean May' is almost a single flower, as are many sasanquas. Your photo shows a semi-double.

I have to leave the house very shortly. When I return this afternoon, I will check my camellia book.

[David E. Ross]

I have Sunset's "How to Grow and Use Camellias" in front of me. It was published in 1968, so it would be missing some recent varieties.

Sunset describes the flower in your photo as a "rose form" camellia. However, it might also be "semi-double with stamens among petaloids", "peony form", or "anemone form". The book seems to have a few dozen varieties of pale pink C. japonica with those flower forms.

Among the C. sasanqua, I saw 'Ko-Gyoku' (aka 'Little Gem' or 'Kogyoku'). Among the C. hiemalis was 'Interlude', and among C. reticulata was 'Willow Wand'.

The book cites 'Jean May' as having a double flower, which means the yellow stamens would not be visible.

The more I dig into this, the more I believe you need a camellia expert, possibly from the American Camellia Society. If you send them E-mail with photos of both the flower and the overall plant (with something to judge sizes such as a ruler or yardstick) along with a description of your climate and when the plant blooms, they might identify your plant.

[David E. Ross]

Also, Sunset categorizes bloom times as early (mid-autumn to mid-winter), midseason (mid-winter to early spring), and late (early spring to mid-spring).

[dpien]

Thanks so much David - very interesting info. Yes, Camellia's are approaching roses in terms of commercial cultivars so it was a bit of a shot in the dark posting a photo on here, but you never know. :) This one would then be an 'early' bloomer - mid-autumn - in zone 9B/10. I will look at pictures of the ones' you mention - it would be exciting if this was C. hiemalis - I've never owned one of these.

I have Sunset's "How to Grow and Use Camellias" in front of me. It was published in 1968, so it would be missing some recent varieties.

Sunset describes the flower in your photo as a "rose form" camellia. However, it might also be "semi-double with stamens among petaloids", "peony form", or "anemone form". The book seems to have a few dozen varieties of pale pink C. japonica with those flower forms.

Among the C. sasanqua, I saw 'Ko-Gyoku' (aka 'Little Gem' or 'Kogyoku'). Among the C. hiemalis was 'Interlude', and among C. reticulata was 'Willow Wand'.

The book cites 'Jean May' as having a double flower, which means the yellow stamens would not be visible.

The more I dig into this, the more I believe you need a camellia expert, possibly from the American Camellia Society. If you send them E-mail with photos of both the flower and the overall plant (with something to judge sizes such as a ruler or yardstick) along with a description of your climate and when the plant blooms, they might identify your plant. [/i][/color]

Also, Sunset categorizes bloom times as early (mid-autumn to mid-winter), midseason (mid-winter to early spring), and late (early spring to mid-spring).