Strange, Thorns? I have been with all kind of camellias for a long time. I do not remember that any cultivar has such throns. If there is one, I am very much curious about it.

Please tell us when it flowers? How the flower looks like? Did you compare the leaf with other camellias in your area? Please keep us informed. Thanks!

Try looking at some Google images of flowering quince (Chaenomeles). Their flowers could easily look like small single or semi-double camellias, and they do have thorny branches. Deciduous, where camellias are evergreen, but also a likely suspect for something that might have been planted on an old farm in the Midwest.

- Steve

We either need to see a picture, or have a better description. When you say that it looks like a camellia, do you mean the leaves, the flowers, or both? Is it evergreen? Where is this plant located?