I’m not certain if plant breeding, birth order or some thing else explains this, but at the camellia clan the Sasanqua camellia is your striving, adapting, hardworking sibling — compared to the hoity-toity Camellia japonica,using its perfect, almost waxen flowers and precious cultivar names such as’Debutante’ and’Swan Lake’.
There are scores of Sasanquas, plus they bloom earlier, with smaller flowers, than Japonicas. They can also perform far more landscape tasks in a garden, in sun or partial shade: floor cover, hedge, espalier, container plant, freestanding specimen. Plus they take considerably more sun (full sun except in hottest climates) and bloom before — in autumn and winter, when flowers are especially welcome. All in all, Sasanquas are one of the top tier of helpful evergreen landscape plants in California, the Southeast and similar light environments.
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Botanical name: Camellia sasanqua. Many colours and varieties can be found;’Setsugekka’ is shown here.
USDA zones: 7 to 10 (find your zone)
Water necessity: Moderate; do not overwater.
Moderate requirement: Partial color, especially in hot climates. Will take more sun than Camellia japonica.
Mature size: As much as 10 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, depending greatly on number
Tolerances: Generally trouble free if circumstances are appropriate; not as prone to petal blight (infection ) as Japonicas.
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Distinguishing attributes. Evergreen leaves are deep green and fine annually. Flowers in shades of red, white and pink, double or single, are small (2 to 3 inches or so) but abundant. Shown here’s rose-red, double-blossom’Shishi-Gashira’ (also considered a Hiemalis camellia).
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Bright red with a yellow center, ‘Yuletide’ Sasanqua camellia blossoms in late autumn, just in time for the holidays. The plant is distintively upright, perfect for a container near the front door or other narrow place.
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‘Pink a Boo’ is a offshoot of’Yuletide’ — note the similar bright yellow centre. The blossom is larger but this plant can also be a vacation bloomer. It shares the same upright habit, so it’s also great in a pot.
How to use it. Choose a Sasanqua selection based on colours you like plus growth habit. Some varieties have a tendency to disperse; others stand upright. It is possible to see tendencies in young nursery plants, for example as’Shishi-Gashira’ (revealed ), which is compact and fairly low growing by character. To get a floor cover, start looking for spreaders like’Mine-Yo-Yuki’ or’Bonanza’. To get a hedge, try out a more upright type, for example as’Jean May’ or’Setsugekka’.
Growing hints. Plant in partial shade or full sun except in hot climates. Be sure that the soil drains well. At planting time refill the hole or bed with at least 25 percent organic matter. Cover the soil with mulch, keep it moist and feed regularly with special camellia food. To prevent diseases from spreading, try to pick up dropped blossoms — although Sasanquas are not as susceptible to petal blight as Japonicas.
To grow a Sasanqua at a container, start with commercial camellia combination or create your own with as much as 50 percent organic matter. Pot size can also be important: choose a diameter of 12 to 14 inches for gallon-can-size crops, and 16 to 18 inches for 5-gallon size.