If you're frost free, the camellia should be fine. It's a subtropical plant.

Tropical Lady, I have a Camellia I have grown as bonsai and it does quite well. I was very pleased that it bounced right back after one of my cats broke the two main branches off, leaving it completly leafless. I placed it under a table (during the summer) on my deck, and it sent another new shoot off the base. The leaves seem to reduce well, the flowers full sized, and beautiful. In central Ohio, it comes in before frost. In Florida it should do really well. MAB

Thanks to both of you for your answers. I do feel much more confident about this plant's chances of survival now. It has dropped almost all the buds and several leaves, but it seems healthy.

Tropical Lady

Camellias do well here in SC (Zone 8)...I never do more than put them on the ground and lightly mulch in winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: BCI camellia info

SC, that is a great link you posted for Tropical Lady ! Very good information, which I needed because all of my bonsai notes and information are lost in my basement somewhere. Thanks ! MAB

Thanks to Tropical Lady and SCBonsai!
I, too, received a camellia bonsai for Christmas here in Texas. I've kept it indoors, in a window that receives morning light, but it is losing all its leaves - even the new ones! The instructions were to water it every couple of days so it doesn't dry out and I've done that. I do notice it is developing saline patches around the edge of the pot - I will go to distilled water for it. I guess I'll try moving it outdoors... and maybe give it some Miracid half strength as your SC website suggests. Am I going about this correctly? I sure don't want to lose this plant! I really would like to keep it indoors as the summers here get so hot that moisture can get sucked right out of the leaves even when the ground is wet. Suggestions?

DON"T use distilled water. Distilled water contains no minerals and can actually be a little detrimental to a recovering plant.

GET THE PLANT OUTSIDE. IT WILL DIE INSIDE. Camelia is an outdoor species, especially where you are. It cannot stand the low light and low humidity levels your house (humidity levels in the average home are less than those in a desert. Light levels, even near bright windows, light levels don't even approach what a plant like a camelia needs).

Stop watering so much. Water when the tree needs it, not on a schedule. Wait until the surface is a bit dry, then water. Wait until the surface dries a bit before watering. This is doubly important if you recieved the tree from a mail order source. Those plants are often potted in soggy potting soil that stays too wet. Repot the plant next year.

DON'T fertilize a stressed plant. At best the plant can't use the fertilizer, at worst you could slow down recovery.

The "saline patches" could be a sign your water is too hard or alkaline. Camelias like acidity.

Thanks, Mark! Will do as you suggest - am certainly glad your response was so quick! Plant goes outside today!
I'm sure you are right about the alkaline water - I drink lemon juice every night myself...duh! Will see about correcting the water...maybe a little vinegar...just a drop or two - or some pickle juice (I have a friend who has a camellia and azaleas here full size and that's what he uses). I can't believe this didn't occur to me!
Again - THANKS for your good thoughts!

I actually have a similar problem: I also just received a Camellia bonsai as a gift, but I live in Michigan. Any advice as to how to care for it? I assume indoors at this point is a must, but should I put it near a window, does it need a lot of light, a little, what? This is my first bonsai and my first Camellia so I'd appreciate any advice you all could offer. Many thanks!

Go to the BCI link above...

I live in NJ and just got a Outdoor Camellia Bonsai plant. The pamphlet says in extreme winter areas, keep it in the garage, shed or basement. Do I need to water it there? Does it need sunlight there? Please HELP!

I just bought a camellia bonsai. I dropped the plant and broke the glass pot it was in. The whole plant fell out of the pot. I threw it away and decided 5 dys later to dig it out of trash and try to resalvage. I repotted with miracle gro and cleaned all of the leaves. I watered it w/ lukewarm water. Most of the leaves remained in tack. Does this plant stand a chance (I have it indoors in view of my patio doors)??? Please help.

One thing, in Texas we grow camelias in the shade. The sun here fries them. I saw a bunch in San Fran this past weekend and they were in fairly heavy shade also. Oh, and they dry out quickly, the one we just bonsaid needs watered almost daily.
Tally HO!

Our gift camellia Bonsai has dropped all its leaves and appears to be dead. do they go dormant?

All plants have some form of rest period in the fall, if only a matter of not continuing to grow for a few weeks - at which time watering frequency should be lessened, but camellias are tropical, or semitropical and don't need real cold to take the 'rest'. But it's the wrong time of year in any case so your problem must be something else... watering, soil mix, light/sun, insects, lots of possibilities - what has been done (or not done)?