Hi Dr. Cindy,

Winter's Fire is dark pink, not red. Mine is not blooming yet, but I will take another picture of it when it does. There is a nice picture of it on the U.S. National Arboretum website. The flowers are good-sized (4 1/2") and medium red pink according to the American Camellia Society.

http://www.camellias-acs.org/qanda/growing08.asp

~Tom

Here is a link that might be useful: U.S. National Arboretum

We have some blooming here at American Camellia Society headquarters. It is a nice deep pink larger than Yuletide. I really like Winter's Fire but if you want a red Sasanqua their is no substitute for Yuletide.

It's so red because it's actually Camellia x vernalis. Anyway, for some nice pictures...

Here is a link that might be useful: YULETIDE CAMELLIA

My only complaint about Winter's Fire is that it starts blooming too late in the DC area (late November - early December). This year the blooms were just starting to take off when it got hit by heavy frost.

Camellia Forest Nursery has a fall-blooming hybrid called Autumn Spirit that is almost exactly the same color as Winter's Fire and starts blooming in October in this area.
Autumn Spirit's flowers are a bit smaller and are peony form. Autumn Spirit seems to be much more sun tolerant and also has a finer texture (leaves are much smaller).

Yuletide is beautiful, but is not as cold hardy as either of those. I planted a good sized Yuletide plant in the Atlanta area in the late 80's and it was killed outright the first winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Camellia Forest Nursery

I have recently discovered this plant at a nursery in PA and am wondering if it has any chance of making it in CT.
We are on the coast and fairly well sheltered but still
a definite zone 5. From the remarks made above it would seem
to be real long shot. If so, any good suggestions for a
similar hybrid that might make it? Thanks.

I think you might want to double check your zone. The Connecticut coast sould be totally in either 6A or 6B. Zone 6ers can grow some very hardy oleifera hybrid camellias. Check Camellia Forest's website. They have a very large selection of them.