Pam’s Plant Picks: Camellia Sasanqua “Yuletide”

As we approach the holidays and the shortest day of the year, we turn to Home & Garden Seattle’s plant expert, Pam Jones, for plant picks to brighten the season.  Her choice: camellia sasanqua, also known as “Yuletide.”

With glossy leaves, this evergreen plant can brighten any corner of the winter garden, whether it is in a yard, on a patio or on a deck.  Camellia sasanqua features a profusion of brilliant red single petal flowers, with bold clusters of yellow stamens, that bloom this time of year, which accounts for its nickname “Yuletide.”  It can be left to grow as an attractive natural hedge, a foundation plant or espalier onto a trellis against a wall.

The sasanqua group of camellias tend to be smaller and more tolerant of sunny sites than the japonica group.  They also have a somewhat neater appearance, as the flowers fade by dropping their petals individually rather than the entire blooms in the japonica family.

Camellia sasanqua can grow in wet regions but can also tolerate some drought.  It grows in both sun and partial shade and prefers acidic, well drained soil, making it an ideal plant for a woodland garden.  It can even be grown indoors in the right conditions - just make sure to give it a sunny window for at least a few hours a day!

So if you’re looking for a way to brighten your outdoors during these short days of the year, or want to bring a little of the outdoors in, think about “Yuletide,” the camellia sasanqua!