Camellias & Azaleas

Camellias and azaleas are evergreen flowering shrubs for part shade to shade beds, grown here in camellia japonica, camellia sasanqua, camellia x hiemalis and many named azalea varieties in 1 to 15 gallon containers. Both hold their leaves year round and open in shades of pink, red, white, orange and purple, with camellia sasanqua blooming first in fall, camellia japonica carrying color from winter into spring, and most azaleas peaking in spring. They want filtered light or part shade, moist but well drained, acidic soil, and once established need only moderate water.

Use them as a specimen near an entry, massed along a shaded fence line, or set close together as a low, informal flowering hedge. Many varieties are deer resistant and draw pollinators and hummingbirds during bloom, which makes them a dependable pick for a shaded California yard across coastal and inland valley climates alike.

Jump to:

Products Buying Guide Related FAQ

Grown by California nurseriesCamellia japonica, sasanqua and azalea1 to 15 gallon containers

Jump to: Products • Buying Guide • Related • FAQ

Common uses

Where the plants on this page usually go, and what to browse next.

A part-shade border along a fence

Camellias and azaleas hold color and leaf in filtered light where many flowering shrubs struggle, making them a fit for a shaded side yard or north facing bed.

Shade Plants

A low, informal flowering hedge

Set close to their mature width, camellia and taller azalea varieties fill in as a loose, blooming hedge rather than a tightly sheared, formal one.

Hedge Plants

Containers on a covered patio

Smaller camellia and azalea varieties in 1 and 2 gallon sizes do well in pots on a shaded patio, given acidic soil and steady, moderate water.

Plants for Pots and Containers

Winter and early spring color

Camellia sasanqua and japonica carry bloom from fall through spring, filling the color gap most flowering shrubs leave during the cooler months.

Flowering Shrubs

Camellias and Azaleas Buying Guide

How to choose, what to check before you order, and how plant orders are delivered.

Camellias and azaleas are the two shrubs most gardeners reach for when a bed gets part shade or filtered light rather than full sun, since both bloom reliably in those conditions and hold their leaves year round. This page carries camellia japonica, camellia sasanqua, camellia x hiemalis and dozens of named azalea varieties in 1 to 15 gallon containers, spanning bloom colors from white and pink to red, orange and purple. Bloom timing, mature size and sun tolerance vary enough between varieties that reading the product page before you buy more than one matters.

Camellia japonica versus camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua opens first, blooming in fall and into early winter, and tolerates more direct sun than camellia japonica, which makes it a workable choice along a sunnier fence line. Camellia japonica flowers later, carrying its show from winter into spring, and wants steadier part shade and protection from hot afternoon sun. Camellia x hiemalis falls between the two in bloom timing. Reading which species a variety belongs to on the product page tells you when it will flower and how much sun it can take.

Acidic soil for camellias and azaleas

Both camellias and azaleas want acidic, well drained soil, and yellowing leaves with green veins are usually a sign the soil pH has drifted too alkaline for the roots to take up iron. Working in acidic planting mix at installation and feeding with a fertilizer formulated for acid loving plants keeps color and vigor up over time. Mulch helps hold the moisture both shrubs want without letting the root zone dry out between waterings, which matters more for camellia and azalea than for many other shrubs.

Use an acid planting mix at installation, not standard garden soil
Feed with an acid formula fertilizer during active growth
Keep a mulch layer over the root zone year round

Watering without damaging the flowers

Overhead sprinklers that wet open camellia and azalea flowers during a bloom period encourage petal blight, a fungal problem that turns blooms brown and mushy within a day or two of a wet spell. Watering at the base with drip irrigation or a soaker hose, rather than spraying the canopy, keeps flowers dry and lasting longer while still giving the roots the moderate, steady moisture both shrubs need. Removing spent or blighted flowers promptly also cuts down on fungal spores that can carry the problem into the next bloom.

Placing camellias and azaleas by light

Most camellias and azaleas on this page are rated for part sun or true shade, and only a handful tolerate full sun, so a north facing bed, the east side of a house, or the area under a high tree canopy usually suits them better than an open, south facing border. Too much direct afternoon sun, especially in a hot inland valley, can scorch leaves and shorten bloom life even on varieties rated for part sun. Check the sun rating on each product page against the actual hours of direct light a bed receives before planting.

Need Help?

(800) 215-7372

FAQ

What is the difference between camellia japonica and camellia sasanqua?

Camellia sasanqua blooms earlier, from fall into early winter, and takes more direct sun than camellia japonica, which flowers from winter into spring and prefers steadier part shade. Both are evergreen and want the same acidic, well drained soil. Sasanqua tends to have a looser, more open growth habit, while japonica varieties often carry larger, more formal flowers. Checking which species a variety belongs to tells you roughly when it will bloom.

When do azaleas and camellias bloom in California?

Camellia sasanqua opens first, from fall into early winter, camellia japonica follows from winter into spring, and most azaleas peak in spring, with some kaempferi varieties blooming again later in the season. Planting a mix of species and varieties keeps color going across most of the year instead of one brief bloom period. Exact timing shifts a little with the local climate, running earlier along the coast and later in colder inland spots.

Why do camellia and azalea flowers turn brown and mushy after rain?

Wet flowers, especially from overhead watering or a rainy spell during bloom, are prone to petal blight, a fungus that turns camellia and azalea blooms brown and mushy within a day or two. Watering at the base instead of overhead, and removing spent or blighted flowers promptly, cuts down on the fungal spores that spread the problem. It is a cosmetic issue on the current bloom, not a sign the shrub itself is failing.

Do azaleas and camellias need acidic soil?

Yes, both want acidic, well drained soil, and planting them in standard alkaline garden soil usually shows up as yellowing leaves with green veins, a sign the roots cannot take up iron properly. Working in an acid planting mix at installation and feeding with a fertilizer made for acid loving plants keeps leaf color and bloom quality up. A layer of mulch over the root zone helps hold the steady moisture both shrubs prefer.

Are camellias and azaleas deer resistant?

Camellias usually are: deer tend to leave their thick, leathery leaves alone. Azaleas are not, and are a common deer favorite, so if deer visit your yard, plant azaleas close to the house or inside a fence. Hungry deer in a dry year, or in a foothill or canyon setting with heavy deer pressure, will still browse almost anything, and a newly planted shrub is more vulnerable than an established one. Some physical protection while plants get established is worth the effort in high pressure areas.

Can azaleas and camellias be planted as a low hedge?

Yes, several varieties on this page are sold for hedge or screening use, and a row of camellia or a taller azalea makes an informal, flowering hedge rather than a tightly clipped formal one. Space plants close to their mature width so the row fills in without a wide gap, and expect a looser, rounded shape rather than a sheared, geometric line. Bloom season adds color a plain evergreen hedge does not offer.

Planning a larger planting?

Send the plant list, sizes and your ZIP and we will confirm delivery and price it before you order.

Call (800) 215-7372

Azalea bushes for a part shade border

Azalea bushes on this page range from compact, rounded forms under three feet to taller varieties that work as an informal screen, so mature size matters as much as flower color when picking one for a border. Most stay evergreen and hold their shape without heavy pruning, needing only a light shaping cut after bloom to keep the plant tidy rather than a hard annual cutback.

Spacing a row of azalea bushes at roughly their mature width, rather than the size they arrive in the container, is what turns individual plants into a filled-in border within a few seasons instead of leaving visible gaps.

Camellia bush size and growth rate

A camellia bush grows slowly but steadily, typically gaining well under a foot a year, and most varieties on this page settle into a rounded shape between six and twelve feet tall at maturity depending on the variety and how it is pruned. That slow, dense growth is part of why camellia holds up well as a long-lived specimen or foundation planting rather than something that needs frequent replacing.

Because growth is gradual, starting with a larger container size, rather than the smallest gallon offered, gets a camellia bush to a useful, established size years sooner.

Delivery & Pickup