Orange County includes the Sunset climate zones 22, 23, 24

Zone 22 includes Garden Grove, Irvine
Zone 23 includes Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange and
Zone 24 includes coastal parts of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach. (Further in from the shore, the beach cities are zone 22/23, consult your Sunset Western Garden book)

Why is it that some varieties will do well at your friend’s house, and not well at yours?  Soil, culture, and exposure aside, it could be your proximity to the shoreline. Some formal doubles will not open close to the shore. ‘Close to the shore’ is roughly defined as within 7 miles from the shore, as the crow flies. Even in zone 22, certain formal doubles may be less inclined to open than others. For instance, ‘Nuccio’s Pearl’ is a lovely formal double flower, but seems to have trouble opening properly close to the beach. If you’re not sure a variety will do well in your area, start with a small plant and keep it in a pot for a few seasons. (Camellias make fine potted plants.) If it doesn’t work out for you, you can probably arrange a trade with another Society member.

Following is a list of varieties that do well for our members and should be suitable to most locations in Orange County. This is not an exclusive list – just some of our tried and true favorites. (We welcome submissions to the list - add your tried and true OC favorite to our list by emailing the webmaster.)

C. SASANQUAS
Most C. sasanquas do very well in zone 22, full sun is no problem.  C. sasanquas generally have simple flowers, often with some tea fragrance, and a profusion of flowers in the fall.

‘Rosette’ - a small rose form of a bright pink. The shrub has a cascading busy growth form and, is an early to mid-season bloomers like most Sasanquas and blooms on both the terminal end and down the branch. ‘Narumagata’ - medium single white with a light pink border as the bloom opens, fading as it opens fully. Note (extra iron during fertilizing produce a deeper pink that lasted on each bloom until it fell off) Upright vigorous growth.

‘Asakura’ - Large double with pink buds opening white, blooms early with multiple blooms on the terminal ends with blooms down the branch. Upright vigorous growth. ‘Omiragomo’ - Medium single pink, blooms early to mid-season. Blooms are long lasting unlike a typical Sasanquas. Upright and spreading, blooms all along the branches. ‘Shibori Egao’ - A must in every garden. Large semi-double mottled pink and white, very showy, a real crowd-pleaser, upright and spreading growth.

C. JAPONICAS
The most commonly seen species of camellia in American gardens, japonicas prefer 50% shade; the north side of a building is usually where they do best. They can be placed in areas that are sheltered from the noonday sun and will do just fine. They make fine potted patio plants as well. These beauties range in color from white to deep red almost black and back again. Blooms can be as small as 11/2” in diameter to 5” in diameter. Their blooming season covers the months of December through April with the height of the season in mid February.

‘Kickoff’ - Large peony form, pale pink striped with deeper pink one of the first japonicas to open, upright and columnar growth. ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ - A good first camellia. Large to very large, red to pale red, some people can detect a slight fragrance. Upright and slightly open growth. ‘Mabel Bryan’ - Large semi-double white stripped with red, a real eye opener. Upright and compact growth. ‘Herme’ (Jordan’s Pride) - a classic, a dependable bloomer. Medium, semi-double pink petals with white borders, upright and bushy.
‘Bob Hope’ - Large to very large, semi-double, deep red almost black with bright yellow stamens. Bushy, compact upright growth. ‘Ace o’ Hearts’ - Medium to large, semi-double to rose form. Red, bushy upright growth. One of the few japonicas that can withstand full sun.
‘Margaret Davis’ - Medium peony form, white with edging of red. When in bloom it sets itself apart, good choice in the landscape. Upright bushy growth. ‘Tom Knudsen’ - Deep red with darker veining. Large rose form to double form. Upright, vigorous somewhat open growth. Blooms early in the season. Good plant to use in an inside corner or as a sentry on both sides of a door. ‘Margie’ - Large formal pure white almost symmetrical, shrub is upright and bushy does well in a container or next to windows.
‘Nuccio’s Carousel’ - Medium semi-double tubular form. Light pink tones, deeper on the outer edges. Upright growth. This variety is a frequent winner in the shows.

 

HYBRIDS
These are crosses of two or more different species. Usually C. japonica is crossed with another species. Hybrids in southern California do very well in almost every zone. They will flower the same time as other camellias and set seed. They too will cross either by hand or naturally.

'Nicky Crisp' - A great hybrid for every garden. Light orchid pink, semi-double that is clean and fresh looking. A slow compact grower, this variety works very well in a container. Great for small spaces on a shaded patio.
’Buttons n Bows’ -A must for anyone looking for a focal point in their landscape. Flowers are small to medium formal, light pink shading deeper toward the edges. This plant is compact and bushy.
‘Buttermint’ - A bright spot in any garden. Miniature creamy white to pale yellow, formal to rose form. A very profuse bloomer, will bloom all along the branches. Upright and compact growth.
‘Coral Bouquet’ - Medium to large flower with wavy petals, rich coral pink, lighter in the center. Somewhat bushy almost columnar growth. Unique in shape and color.