My FIL had a camellia in his back yard in Georgetown. It was one of those that, if there was a late frost, all the blooms were lost. Same was true if it was pruned at the wrong time of the year. It was always touch-and-go from year to year if it would bloom. I never considered adding camellias until a vendor sent me an email about them.

My questions to all of you who have experience with them: 1. Are they REALLY evergreen, thus providing visual interest in the winter?; 2. Are there varieties which are unusually hardy for the DC area (zone 7)? If so, what are they?; 3. What do they need in terms of sunlight/shade and soil conditions?; and, 4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, is there a camellia YOU would plant in a public space? If so, please tell me what it is and where to find it.

In your zone sansanqua camellias may withstand winters better than the larger flowered japonicas. Sansanquas bloom earlier and tolerate more sun than japonicas. An outstanding white is 'Setsugekka'.

If no one from your zone answers I recommend asking at a local nursery. Perhaps there is another type that is best for your area. Or maybe they have to be planted next to a warm winter wall. Good luck.

Sasanqua is the correct spelling - my goof :-(

I'm in Annapolis.

What kind of garden will this plant be in? If it's enclosed, or the camellia will be against a wall (except north facing), there will a warmer winter microclimate that will expand your options for cultivars. In less hospitable places, the Ackerman hybrids are indeed proving themselves quite cold-hardy. 'Setsugekka,' mentioned above, is a great white, performs beautifully in my garden, gets eastern sun. I'm about to get my first display from 'Japanese Fantasy,' a C. japonica/saluenensis/roseaflora hybrid, which is supposed to be quite cold tolerant, but I only planted it last year and this winter, as you know, was quite mild.

- Steve