Another pic of the Pink Perfection.

And this is the close up of the Winter's Fire...

I wonder if the iridescence could result from something that was sprayed on the leaves? Pesticide, funcidide or something else? I wouldn't worry unless you see problems with new foliage.

Generally speaking, camellias are woodland plants and prefer filtered- not direct- sun. You may find that the leaves get some sunburn if they're receiving mid-day and early afternoon sun.

The real trouble with camellias getting full sun, though, is making sure they don't dry out. Camellias don't want wet feet, but they do like their roots to be cool and damp.

If you can't ensure that the shrubs will get sufficient moisture and/or if you don't like the look of sun-scalded leaves, you may want to consider another, shadier location. Or you might be able to plant something or rig a shade structure nearby to protect the plants...

Good luck,
Virginia

Winter's Fire looks like it has gotten some virus which makes the leaves turn yellow (or even white sometimes). Most of the times, it is harmless but I understand that many just do not like it for aesthetic reasons. Two years ago, I went to a nursery that had a "boatload" of shrubs with this issue.

I have noticed a "shiny leaves syndrome" in some roses when aphids deposit honeydew on the leaves but I do not know if that is the issue here. Just be on the lookout for aphids.

I would keep an eye on Pink Perfection. The time when it gets sun would bother me here in Texas but you are so far up north that it may just be having transplant shock and reacting to the sun this way. But it may not in future years so, like I said, I would evaluate if it continues doing well and take action otherwise. Some small number of yellowing leaves, when first planted outside, is not a bad thing. Rule out soil pH problems (light green leaves) by acidifying the soil if yours is alkaline (you already did).

This post was edited by luis_pr on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 8:06

Thanks for the info. But note: these plants were in this condition when I purchased them.

The winters fire looks pretty healthy to me- it does have the virus in the leaves(yellowing) , but don't worry about that.

The pink perfection I see a couple of issues with that one.

First , it is a hungry plant , looks like it hasn't been fertilized in several years, but wait till spring to do that.

Second , where you planted it , @ maturity the plant is going to get big , real big-- like 15' tall and about 8' wide. Along with that , so close to a structure combined with the low levels of sunlight and lack of wind likely that the plant is going to receive , and your setting yourself up for trouble with pests.

The overwhelming vast majority of camellias can be grown in full sun , though its harder to do that in a handful of states , but where your @ should not be a problem with the full sun .

I hope you did not plant it to deep- that is probably one of the biggest and most common mistake most folks do that aren't familiar with camellias do.

If it were my plant I would move it

Good Luck!!

Thanks y'all, for the info! Really appreciate it. I actually placed pink perfection there bc I thought I was giving her room to spread out... She has about 6 ft all around her... I'm uploading another picture so maybe you can see better. I guess one main question I had was about feeding, which the nursery told me to do now for pink perfection. I guess they knew they hadn't in a while... Another question would be- Should I prune yellow, discolored, and wilted leaves?!

Absolutely a newb re camellias. 2 years ago, a friend brought a piece of camellia to my house and planted it. Didn't prep soil, add nutrients, rooting hormones NADA. I became very ill shortly after this happened and did nothing for this poor plant. Last year, I was well enough for gardening and thought I would restart this camellia. It was still alive, made leaves, and when I went to dig it up, it had such nice roots and lots of earthworms in the soil that I decided to leave it. I fed with Miracle Grow rose & flowering shrub food and watered directly when there was no rain. It made many buds, but an early surprise freeze got them.

This year, the plant is looking unhappy. It hasn't made much growth, has set few buds and the leaves are yellowed and some have brown, leathery areas. I am not sure what to do for it. The poor thing has been through a lot, and now that I can take care of it I don't know what to do!

Any advice/feedback welcome. I am experienced rose gardener and like to be as organic as possible but am not adverse to occasional chemical use if necessary. Thanks!

RE: Pink Perfection--It looks a little peaky but not terrible. I see bud formation. In my experience camellias, especially japonicas, take about 3 years to really establish themselves. Since you just planted this one and did amend the soil with an acidifier I don't think I would do anything more to it right now. Next spring keep an eye on it and see if it seems to like the location. You can fertilize it at that time and maybe even use some Espoma soil acidifier again if the leaves are still a light green, along with HollyTone. I don't work for Espoma but I like their products.
RE: Winter's Fire--The leaf variegation is a virus that usually indicates a variegated flower as well, which is a good thing. It does not hurt the plant. The plant looks healthy to me except for that brown spot. I think I might pick off that leaf just in case it's a harmful virus or bacteria that could spread to the rest of the plant. In general a plant will shed some leaves--even though camellias are evergreen the individual leaves do not last forever. If you see a leaf cascade, however, there is a problem. A soil test is always a good idea and can be done by your local extension service. And as has already been pointed out, camellias will not tolerate poor drainage.
RE: Camellia from cutting--Hard to know what the problem is. Was it too dry this last summer? Too much sun? Is it sitting too deep? Camellias need to be planted a little high. You say the soil never had any amendments added. I think I would be tempted to loosen the soil out a couple of feet at least all around the root ball and maybe work in some compost and a little Hollytone, with a heavier application of Hollytone next spring. Maybe even raise the plant a little while you are at it. Water in well, mulch (don't have the mulch touch the plant) and see how it does. Glad you are feeling better and back to gardening!