I tended a garden in a mild z7, their Camelia was struggeling to get older than 3 y in the garden bed

Even if we take it in for the winter?

HERE is one of several previous threads on this topic.

Possibly in zone 6B, but 6A is getting really dicey. In the ground or in a pot?

I tried it in zone 6b and it was a big fail. I bought from a reliable grower and chose carefully a variety that was supposed to tolerate my zone, but alas, it did not. Didn't even last 2 seasons if I recall. Very disappointing because I would love to grow some. I consoled myself with growing roses which have the fragrance that camellias don't.

In a pot.

I think there are some people in Martha's Vineyard growing the hardiest camellias, but even there in what is officially zone 7, it is a challenge.

Prairiemoon without saying your specific town can you give an impression of roughly where in MA you are? How close to water? If you planted right before a harsh winter, it might have been a contributing factor. Would be curious which one you tried. Pure Camellia oleifera is probably the hardiest, but relatively uncommon in cultivation. It lent its hardiness genes to the Ackerman camellia hybrids.

FWIW some camellias, even some fairly hardy ones, have fragrance. I have one called 'Scented Snow'.

Hi David - I tried Camellia japonica 'April Blush'

Camellia 'April Blush'

I bought it and planted it in April of 2012 and dug it out and tossed it in the spring of 2014.

I'm about 10miles north of boston and not near the water. It was planted in the spring.

Well, that was just before Polar Vortex I, so not surprising to me you lost it. A string of a couple milder winters would have helped it get established. FWIW, the oleifera hybrids are probably a little hardier, and that is what Agnes should try. Ones like 'Survivor', 'Mason Farm' or the pure oleiferas 'Plain Jane' and 'Lu Shan Snow', if she wants a fully outdoor camellia in zone 6.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be growing a camellia just to see if it would survive my zone, I'd want it because I loved it. I just looked up all those camellias you suggested and the only one that interested me at all was 'Lu Shan Snow' And I think it interested me because it was a very mature example of one with a gorgeous old trunk and well grown. But, with all the beautiful camellias available now, I'd fine it hard to settle for those you listed.

There are SO many plants that are happy to grow in my zone, I can forego Camellias.

We've successfully grown limes last year. We planted it in the garden and re-potted it and brought it in before the first frost. So that's what we were thinking with the camellia.

Sure, you can do that with a lot of plants. I do that with Hibiscus only I keep it in a pot outside in the summer and it stays in my DR window all winter. Some plants don't do well with doing this. Maybe david would know if this would work with Camellias?

Katob, that really does make me feel better! lol It's exactly what I was trying to say. That if I try to grow the camellia it is never going to be as great an experience as someone in zone 8 is going to have. You hit the nail on the head!

There's an amazing 4 acre private garden just south of Trenton with huge camellias of the hardy persuasion. (Ackermans, known hardier old cultivars, oleifera hybrids, etc.) But it's right along the Delaware river, rated zn 7a. So I think what we frequently see is that the further north of the Mason Dixon line you go...or maybe just Norfolk, VA*...(!)...the more of a protected microclimate, use of special cultivars, and/or thoughtful siting in the garden is needed. To me, the list of Camellias at Polly Hill in MA is rather curious, but suggests they can at least last in the garden there, albeit maybe not perform well. Consistent with "the blooms are always browned in the spring by cold" on Long Island. OTOH not too much further south as the crow flies, here at the northern tip of the Ches. Bay, that's happened once in the last 14 winters of my collection. (this spring! I didn't mention damage to camellias, but it was there. However my camellias had so many dormant buds they continued to bloom after the damage. 'Destiny' shocked me by still having flowers well into late May. And btw I don't remember the garden of the late Werner Brack, whom I mention in that travelogue, having many camellias on the north shore at St. James. I was lucky to get to see his garden in 2013 before his death. It certainly seems he would have grown a few if he could.)

I'd say, camellias as a true houseplant would be difficult for most people; it might help though that New Englanders have a reputation for thriftiness and not setting the winter thermostat too high! All my camellias spend a few years in my south facing garage in winter, until they size up to at least 3/8" caliper and having a strong root system in a > 1 gallon pot. No difficulty growing them somewhere that stays down around 40F all winter. They can bloom of course, and my first attempt at a cross was actually carried out while the mama was still in the garage. Papa was 'Korean Fire' in the garden, blooming during a mild January spell.

* that to me is where, heading south along the eastern seaboard, Camellias suddenly become bog standard landscape material

I am in Rhode Island which I believe is zone 6A. With protection, I have grown, for 3 years, an Ackerman hardy camellia, April Dawn.

As you can see, this was taken April of 2021. It is about 2.5 feet tall as of this writing and very healthy. I only managed to get one flower but it is a lovely flower. Here is my dilemma - the protection from a lot of sun has been removed by a neighbor cutting down a bunch of large arborvitae which protected it. I need to move it and am wondering if I can put it in a large pot as a new home? Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

"can put it in a large pot as a new home?"

only if you are overwintering the pot in a place with a suitable "climate" - i.e., greenhouse, or sunny, cool, unheated but never below 25F garage. A plant loses at least a zone of hardiness in a pot.

Hmm. So if it is in a unheated shed in a sometimes sunny window, it will become a zone 5 situation? It got down to at least 10 degrees for each winter in my location and with the protection I provided, it came through fine. I can leave it where it is with a shade cloth in the morning (east sun) and again in the afternoon (west sun) -- which do you think would be the better situation. Leave it or put it in a pot and in the shed? Thanks so much for your input.

leave it in the ground

build a burlap screen around it until something else (you plant? your neighbor plants? a fence someone puts up?) protects it from winter morning sun. trust me that is the death of camellias at the northern end of their range but it sounds like you already know that

Sounds like good advice - one last question - morning sun is worse than afternoon sun? Thanks so much for your thoughts on this. Really appreciate.

yes definitely worse

I looked at the picts of your camellias. Variety wow - and beautiful -- all. One last thing from me. I moved it to the north side today (where it should have been originally but circumstances did not allow 3 years ago. I know this is not prime transplant time for camellias, but today was not too hot nor humid so I went for it - the new locale is protected from north winds by large evergreens so the shelter is good for winter. I can protect it from the east sun in the morning very easily -

Even though it had only been in the ground for 3 years, it didn't want to move. I got as much as I could of the roots but we'll see. I took about 10 inches off the top to compensate. Should I take more? - as in cutting it to about 18 inches - it was just short of 3 feet before transplant. You are obviously a terrific camellia grower - I was raised with them in California and I long to have at least one back here! Thanks for any and all answers to my pesty questions.

i would never cut off the leaves that are needed to regrow the root mass you cut off in transplant ..

imo.. do not cut off more

ken

Yeah Ken is correct there's no need to do compensatory pruning of the top.

It would have been safer to wait until next spring, but, now that you've done it...just make sure you mulch well and still put a little burlap screen around it from December to March. And hope for a mild winter!

Yep it's done. I have taken the 10 inches from the top and I am going to try to propogate it. That might be interesting.

I will follow your advice and cover it well for the winter season. I know it's early in the game, but I have been keeping it wet, sheltered from both am and pm sun and it still looks fine. I will keep you posted. Thanks to both for input.

The OP did not provide a general area for his/her garden, other than "Zone 6", I would say there are are doable cultivars in a Zone 6b but a zonal push in Zone 6a or lower.. This camellia is in zone 7A/NJ. it's about 8 feet tall and gets no protection. It has no issues with the cold but once the local deer discovered Camellia was quite edible, they started being trained as standards. I have others but waiting till they get tall enough to avoid the deer.

I think the cultivar below is April Promise, Kumasaka Camellias are also locally sold as cold hardier varieties. These blooms are from early March.

Hi - thanks for input. I did say 6A a few threads up - I know it is a push but I have brought it thru 3 winters with protection. Hopefully I got enough roots for it to grow in its new location - north side of house sort of under and behind Junipers and other evergreens. Your camellias are lovely. Thanks for picts.