11 of the Best Camellia Cultivars to Grow at Home

Before moving to Florida, I spent most of my life in the Mid-Atlantic. For more than thirty years, the bleak brown grass or glaring white snow-covered landscape of winter was disappointing to me because I love color.

It felt as though the winter would never end, and the dormant plants would never come back to life.

If only I had learned sooner that some plants could add much needed greenery and colorful blooms through this seemingly dead season.

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The camellia is one of those plants. Sometimes referred to as the “rose of winter,” most varieties form buds in the fall and bloom between autumn and spring, brightening the landscape and providing important sources of forage for the animals and insects that need it.

A splash of daring red or a blush of cheerful pink petals might have been just what I needed to see outside my window to cheer me up when temperatures dropped and the snow was falling.

While they have a reputation for being a bit finicky, camellias can thrive for decades if given proper care. Learn more about keeping them happy and healthy in our camellia growing guide.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of care, the rest is easy – that is, after you decide which cultivar to grow. How hard could that be though, right?

Well… potentially harder than you may think. There are more than three hundred species and three thousand cultivars to choose from, and in this guide we’ll focus on 11 popular cultivars, and consider what they’ll add to your garden.

But before we dive into the roundup, let’s quickly talk about the various types of blooms that are available to