Re. Camellias - Heat - And - Shade

[lifegardener]

We're interested in placing a Camellia in a mostly shaded area, that can get quite warm during the evening summer/fall months.

This would be for planting zones 9 - 10.

The camellia would be grown in a very large pot - with sufficient bottom drainage.

Variety suggestions are greatly appreciated - preferably with red blossoms.

 

[DirtMechanic]

So mine suck in shade. I have a few traditional and 2 pink passions and they need some sun. Try a tea olive for a shade evergreen.

 

[lifegardener]

So mine suck in shade. I have a few traditional and 2 pink passions and they need some sun. Try a tea olive for a shade evergreen.

When you say "they need sun", how many hours are you taking about? Will take a look at the tea olive. Thankyou.

 

[lifegardener]

We decided instead to look for a shrub we can grow in a large pot, drought and heat tolerant, with good afternoon (west-facing) sun exposer.

Was thinking something along the lines of bottle brush or grevillea.

 

[DirtMechanic]

At least 4 is a guess on my part because mine get late or afternoon sun. I had to move some Roses because of encroaching shade and put Camellia in those places. They are doing well according to the deer -which is a separate problem. They did not prosper in my deep shade areas.

 

[Sean Regan]

The problem with Camelias....

Is that they don't stop growing. Ok there's three here, but the blooms made a hell of a mess and the three of them became very dominant in a small garden.

So when ours got this size, we changed to something more manageable. I reduced the size of the bed, built a brick edging circle.

A Mimosa.

Swopped with that Sambucus on the small patio in the Winter (this year)

(last year)

We binned two camelias and I cut the third down to a couple of feet and replanted it in a side border. That was sixteen years ago.

It's lived here in the shade of the six foot fence since then, behind a lantern and one of our many rhododendrons. It would produce far more blooms than it does each year if I didn't keep pruning it to keep it to this size, to prevent it from taking over the area again. We like it for its glossy leaves.

I wouldn't worry about it being in some shade.

 

[lifegardener]

Absolutely gorgeous space you have. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

When we moved here the hedge on the South side of the garden had been cut by someone who came round every so often with the result that it was much wider than it should be. I have fought it back to its proper width and realised there were a number of shrubs originally planted just in front of it which had become enveloped by it, including two camellias. Now they are free of the hedge they are doing well, despite having a 7ft hedge on their South side to put them in the shade. I think the most important thing for them is a little protection from winter frosts, the flower buds form so early they easily get damaged. Of course that may not be a problem out of England.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's true about the buds and frost, you can lose the lot from a late frost.