Hi Cheryl!

Camellia's should thrive in your environment. I'm growing 7 or 8 sasanquas myself in north-central AL, in addition to 4 or 5 japonicas, and all have been disease free for me. I'm not sure if the same would be true in Dothan, given that it's warmer and more humid there, but a healthy shrub is basically disease- and pest-free.

Although 'sasanquas' typically begin blooming a couple of months sooner than 'japonicas', that's certainly not always true, as I have a j. 'Alabama Beauty' in full bloom right now, with only a scattered flower here and there on any of my sasanquas.

When most of the garden is "winding down" due to cooler weather and diminishing sunlight, the camellias are just beginning to put on a show. By planting a few varieties of each you can have color from October through March. (Can you tell they're one of my favorites?!)

Below is a link for more information. Good luck!

Nelson

Here is a link that might be useful: Camellia 'sansaqua' info....

Thanks for posting the link for Sansaqua's, Nelson. I have some Japonica's and have thought about getting some of these. Now that I have seen all the beautiful cultivars, I am going to have to have some!
Jan

Yres,Nelson thanks for the link. I think I am going to add these to my garden.

Cheryl

txgal, to make your shopping and searching easier, the correct spelling is SASANQUA. Have fun! I like the sasanquas better than the japonicas.

I live around Dothan and have had several sasanquas for years. They do real well here. Mine have started blooming.

I am curious about these - how hot does it get in your neck of the woods? I saw "Yuletide" for sale and fell in love, but didn't buy it because of summer temps in Phoenix. I guess I'd have to put in a container to give it acidic conditions, then bring it in over the summer. Has anyone successfully done something like this? Regards, June

to the arizona poster,
i don't know about suitability of growing camellias when comparing your climate to the humid southeast but 'yuletide' should be a good candidate for a large container.
i don't grow it but i understand it is one of the smaller-growing camellias. summer heat is not normally a problem for these shrubs in our area if you can give them shade during the hottest part of the day and keep them watered. we do experience hot, humid days and nights and the hot/dry southwest climate may not be agreeable to them. you may need to mist or provide a tray of pebbles in water beneath the container to increase the humidity.
this one might also be a possibility for a container as a fall-bloomer.
it has not grown very large for me yet but i have only had it a few years. the individual flowers are typically about 2" dia. and the habit of the shrub is low, somewhat cascading.
camellia x hiemalis 'chansonette'.
{{gwi:368430}}
isn't she pretty in pink? :-)

Jeff,
Thank you for your help. Your "chansonette" is beautiful - pretty in pink is right! I am still thinking about purchasing one and giving it a try. I've started visiting the camellia forum to help understand this plant alittle better. Thanks again and Happy New Year, June