Bill, I am not in New England but close enough to coastal Connecticut.

I absolutely agree with you about camellia potential in milder sections of NE. A lot boils down to traditional tastes and know entities and camellias have not been a part of the gardening scene. I would also add,I noted a BIG difference in what local nurseries were selling after our gardening zone went from 6b to 7--suddenly, Southern Magnolias, Camellias, and hardy palms were popping up. The one in the picture blooms sporadically from November to February, then revs up the bloom in March--no blooms from May through October. They appreciate some shade from sun...in summer and winter. On word of caution, if you have deer, this evergreen is quite edible, but for whatever reason my prolific deer seem to leave it alone (may be too close to house). But they don't seem so shy about eating other plants.

Have you checked out the Massachusetts Camellia Society? See the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: MCS

That is what I was trying to point out. Are you close to them to attend meetings?

Don't see many camellias in northern NJ gardens and local garden centers don't carry them. Interesting to note that I bought one at Lowe's, of all places, Sept. 2012 and the worker told me they were flying off the shelves. Had a few blooms early Spring 2013 but the squirrels/groundhogs chomped off the blooms. Will be more diligent next spring about pest control.

Jerseygirl, HD and Lowe's have been selling them for the past few years in April, but they do go fast. You might also try Corrado's in Clifton, they sell just about everything. They are actually quite easy when properly situated.

Here are some of mine:
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Your 'April' camellias are beautiful! I hope your example will get gardeners in your area to question their assumptions about camellias.

Clifford Parks and William Ackerman have done much to create and market hybrids specifically designed to be cold-hardy, but I wonder how some of the japonicas used as parents for many of those hybrids would do? 'April Remembered' sure shows her 'Berenice Boddy' and 'Dr Tinsley' parentage- I wonder how far north 'BB', 'Dr T', Prof Sargent', 'Gov Mouton', 'Billie McCaskill' and other hardy oldies can thrive/survive?

Do you know the name of the last one posted, Bill? The one that is pale pink is especially gorgeous! I can always find room for another!

njoasis,

The first one is a fall bloomer called "Snow Flurry". The rest are all spring blooming. The photo of the whole plant and the one following are "April Blush", then "April Kiss" and finally "April Dawn".

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This prolonged cold you're getting in the Northeast will certainly pose some challenges for folks trying to grow camellias that aren't hardy in their zones.

I hope you'll report back to let us know if your spring blooms seem to be affected by the prolonged low temps.

Good luck!

I really love camellias, but have never grown them. Like VMR423 states, prolonged cold is a challenge. My inlaws grew many camellias in zone 7 northern VA, but all it took was a hard winter and they were blasted and would take years to recover their former glory. Prior to this year, we've had a fair number of winters that have been mild and cold snaps were short. With the repetitious cycles of freezing and holding the cold tempertures for many days, I will be curious to learn how others in the Mid Atlantic have fared with their "hardy camellias". I'd love to see one do well in zone 6 with this winter's conditions.

Rarefind Nursery in Jackson, NJ has some of the more cold tolerant camellias (and many gorgeous Rhododendrons). I live in Virginia and most of my camellia plants are okay, but the bad winter seems to have killed most of the flower buds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rarefind Nursery

Here in Williamsburg Va. the Camellias did fine. Now the Gardienas however....

Oh, no. Not the gardenias.... what happened to those super fragrant shrubs?

Bill. I'm in Boston proper and would like to grow camellias. Do you have recommendations as to what are some the hardiest and tips for taking care of them, especially in the winter. Thanks.

tmn, if you want spring blooming types, the "April" series are a good choice. Most are rated for zone 6. If you have a spot that is protected from winter wind, that's a plus. Also, they get burned by winter sun, so you need to keep them in a shaded spot, keeping in mind the changes in the angle of the sun throughout the seasons. A spot that is a bit warmer, such as near a stone wall or house, foundation, etc. that may hold a little heat is a help as well. I don't do anything special in winter, unless there is a heavy snow load that could break the branches. This past winter was especially brutal, and much of the tops of my plants (6-7 feet tall ones) were burned, and the buds in those parts were killed. The parts that were buried in snow for a few weeks are fine, and the flowers bloomed as always. The new growth in the "good" parts is moving along normally, healthy green shoots. But in the damaged parts of each plant, only now do I see some tiny green shoots. I am sure the plants will recover this year but it will be another few weeks before the damaged areas start to look good again.

There are also many fall blooming types, which are generally a bit hardier than the spring blooming ones, and you don't have to worry about the buds being killed in a cold winter, since they form during summer and then bloom in fall.

Good luck with yours! I'd like to know how they do for you.