That's a nice-looking sasanqua. If the label only said that it was a sasanqua, though, it may be a seedling, and not a named cultivar.

If it is a named variety, it could be 'Bonanza', 'Christmas Rose', 'Reverend Ida', 'Shishigashira' or even 'Dwarf Shishi'. Sasanqua ID's are hard for me because the bloom shape can change so much over the few days it's on the plant. Even single-form flowers can look rose-like or peony-form when they're first opening up.

An added complication is that colors don't always come true in photos.

If I had to guess, though, I'd say it's probably a seedling. Sasanquas are often grown because they're good-looking evergreen shrubs that bloom prolifically. The bloom itself isn't the key feature, as it is with most japonicas, so sasanqua seedlings that have a nice shape & flowering habit will sometimes be sold just as un-named sasanquas.

If you were in a colder area of the country, I would be concerned about its hardiness, but I would guess that you could grow almost any sasanqua where you are- whether it has a name or not...

What if the plant were a Camellia ?Any ideas what it would be?

It seems close to Bob Hope Camellia.

Judging from the leaves- and the tag- I would definitely assume it's a sasanqua camellia, rather than a japonica camellia like Bob Hope.

If it were up here in Virginia, it would probably be a named variety of spreading-form C. sasanqua -- like Ashton's Supreme, Chansonette, Shishi Gashira, or Bonanza, or similar.

But in zone 9 CA, I couldn't even guess.

It's beautiful though! I love it.

This post was edited by dave_in_nova on Sun, Dec 8, 13 at 11:40