Sasanqua Camellia

Sasanqua camellia is the fall-blooming counterpart to Japanese camellia, and in Western Washington it fills a seasonal gap that almost nothing else can. The flowers open from September through December, smaller and more delicate than Japanese camellia, in shades of white, pink, and rose, at a time when the garden is shutting down and you have stopped expecting anything to bloom. The plant itself is a slow-growing evergreen shrub, six to ten feet tall with an oval form, carrying smaller, finer-textured foliage than its spring-blooming relative.

Sasanqua camellia shares the same cultural requirements as Japanese camellia: acidic soil, part shade, consistent moisture, and protection from rapid morning thaw after frost. It is slightly less cold-hardy, rated Zone 7a through 8b, which makes microclimate selection important in the Puget Sound lowlands. South-facing walls with reflected heat work well; exposed, windswept north-facing sites do not. The fall bloom timing is the key differentiator. If you plant both species, you can have camellias in flower from September through April, covering seven months of the year with a single genus. No significant disease or pest concerns are tracked on this species in the region.