If you are not already aware of this and wouldn't like it spent flowers of C. japonica types such as these produce an absolutely amazing mess. Also for best results you need a wooded or otherwise sheltered site. People here do plant them in all aspects but poor foliage color and petal damage is therefore frequently seen.

Off the top of my head I don't know anywhere down there where you could see a usefully large assortment of these on display outside of a private collection or an independent garden center. If you have a nursery you like that brings in a full range of camellias (usually these are trucked in from California), plus a person on staff who seems knowledgeable your best bet might be to go there, ask about local performance and other attributes of those they have.

There is also this resource.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/camellia

http://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/Search/MainMenuWithFactSheet.aspx?CategoryId=1&SubCatId=4&PlantDefId=7&ProblemId=329

This is how WSU Extension in their Hortsense web site says to handle this problem. What Ron talks about.

Over the years I have noticed that when planted under large conifers, or eaves or soffits of a building don't show this problem as much. Single petaled flowering plants seem more resistent.

If you are happy to accept flowering in winter rather than spring, then I'd suggest Camellia x vernalis 'Yuletide'. A medium sized shrub (8-10') more sun tolerant than the japonicas, 'Yuletide' is a reliable bloomer of bright red, single flowers in December and January (cultivar name is very appropriate!!) and does not have the retained spent flower issue of the japonicas. Also has a much more open, less dense 'green mound' habit compared to the japonicas, thanks to its sasanqua parentage.

FWIW, I grew 'Bob Hope' in my old Shoreline garden and it did produce large, bright red flowers every spring. I did not notice that it retained the spent flowers necessarily but it was a bit messy with the fallen petals.......however I don't really find that a major drawback.

Yes 'Yuletide' seems to do well here and 'Bob Hope' is a classic. Both were introduced by Nuccio's Nurseries, in southern California (if you love camellias a visit to this place is essential).

http://nucciosnurseries.com

Jennifer Trehane (2007, Camellias - The Gardener's Encyclopedia, Timber Press, Portland) says of 'Bob Hope'

Probably one of the most popular of the modern red-flowered camellias, with its profusion of blooms and attractive foliage and habit. It is remarkably sun tolerant in warm climates as well as rewarding in colder areas

Thanks so much for all the helpful comments. I see "Yuletide" everywhere and I do like it. I saw "Bob Hope" at a nursery and was just blown away by it. I have a spot in mind along the front side of my house which faces north. The only camellia I have planted so far is "Donation" which is very small. I grew lots of camellias in my former garden in the South. I am familiar with the blossoms falling everywhere but I am a diligent gardener and I don't think that would bother me much!

'Donation' is considered by some the best of them all. I had one here for years, it grew maybe 10 ft. tall and was profuse in bloom. But I planted it just north of the neighbor's fence, on the south side of my lot - and they didn't have trees on their side. So its petals were often tinged brown by the sun exposure and I got tired of looking at this damage, took the shrub out.

Many camellias presented at garden centers here come from Monrovia.

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/434/bob-hope-camellia/

If you search their site for "camellia" you will see kinds you are likely to find locally.

Thanks for the link. Now, I think I want "April Tryst". Decisions, decisions...

I also vote for 'Yuletide'. It is clean, fragrant and hummingbirds love it. It also handles sunnier position much better than most japonicas. If you prefer japonicas go with cultivar with single to semi-double flowers as these seem to be much less messy than full form flowers. One of my favorites is 'Unryu' with bizarrely contorted stems and single bright red flowers but it does need to be staked and trained into upright form, at least at first.

I see camellia japonica bushes all around Salem, seems to be heaven for them. There are some really huge ones here. Am really looking forward to seeing them in springtime (I'm new to Oregon). When I lived in the DC area I grew Royal Velvet, I only saw the flowers once (when I first ordered it) because I don't think it has the best bud cold hardiness (just guessing). However, the winters there are much worse than the Willamette Valley so I would definitely try it again. It has a really strongly saturated red color. Another one that I want to try again is Black Magic (which did bloom after awful DC area winters).

I ordered most of my camellias for my old place from Camellia Forest Nursery, and there is a ton of information about camellias on their website (they developed the April series of camellias). Their "other" tree and shrub list has some unusual plants that I haven't seen elsewhere.

http://www.camforest.com/

Have to say that there are so many amazing Oregon nurseries, I expect they will get 99.9% of my business.

Also, I hadn't heard that issue about picking up japonica flowers, to me it is easier when the petals remain clumped. I suspect that is the reason that japonicas can be used as a cut flower too while sasanquas will shatter quickly when taken indoors. Good luck, please post later if you get a Royal Velvet.

I visited Tsugawa Nursery last week and they had some very nice-sized camellias. I ended up deciding on 'Nuccio's Bella Rossa' for the spot I had in mind. They also had 'Unryu' which enith mentioned and I may go back and get one of those later. The guy at the nursery who helped me really liked it too.