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oath5

What's the best looking Ackerman?

oath5
16 years ago

I'm looking into an Ackerman camellia for my yard, having decided that the space where I wanted to put one would be suitable for the winter, sheltered, sunny in the morning, but then pretty shady. No western wind exposures.

Anyway, I was wondering why people don't post enough pictures of the whole bush of each plant, I don't mind flower colors, as long as we have a sudden special burst of color anywhere from October-Nov is fine but it's the form that really concerns me. I personally like a very spreading forms , like evergreen azaleas. Is there an Ackerman that will grow like that? If so, does it grow reasonably fast?

Comments (4)

  • katrina1
    16 years ago

    'Snow Fluries' is reported to be spreading and when young can be pruned into a nice ball. It is one of the earliest fall bloomers. white blooms.

    This is my second camelia to purchase, It is in a 3 gallon sized pot and is about two feet tall with erect stems which are loaded with buds. It may be past the stage of being able to prune it into a ball.

    My first cameliea I purchased was the 'Pink Isicle.' At the Nursery the blooms captured my attention, I brought the pot home and divided it into four separate plants. Gave one to my friend, which she did not water properly and it died.

    Then gave her another one which we immediately planted and it is doing well. Still looking pretty upright growing. the two that are left I have planted on each end of some dwarf, early to mid-spring blooming azaleas. My Pink Isicle camelias are growing straight up, but also have some lower branches growing horizontally. As Shrubs these are not very full, because I planted them as single trunked shrubs. I did that in an effort to restrict how far they spread. These bloom in Feb/March for me and the petals fall very easily if they get shaken by the wind.

    My potted snow flurry will not be divided when I plant it, and it is my hope that it eventually grows at least 6 feet wide and taller than the Encore azaleas I have growing on the East, South, and West sides of where I want to plant it.

    Yes it is hard to find good photos showing the growth habit of the shrub. That leads me wonder if the breeding of these cold hardy camelias was so challanging that the only focus was on the bloom and cold hardyness of them.

    Most sources that are selling these say that they grow differently in the pots than they do in the landscape. That could also contribute to the entire shurb photo not being posted on their sites.

    Many times I have the same complaint with roses. Lots of photos of the flower, but not much description of the shrub and leaf shape and size, and for sure not many entire rose shrub photos, unless it is a dramatic looking climbing rose or something similar.

  • oath5
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it; I too find it incredibly frustrating with both roses and other shrubs that people show off the flowers and little else when talking about them. Some bushes can be awkward looking if put in the wrong spot, so I was hoping there was one more horizontal in growth than tall, all the sources online just don't tell you that at all....spreading yes, but they usually grow out of that.

    Anyway, thanks a lot, I love camellias, I bought a baby last year and thought it was beautiful but I planted it so late, forgot to water when mild, and in all just didn't tend to it enough and it almost died. It did die this summer though, I think the spot was too sunny for it.

  • GAAlan
    16 years ago

    Snow Flurry has been one of the best camellias I have! I absloutely love the semi-weeping habit, and it flowers with great fervor every year. I'll be interested to see how well it blooms this year after a horrid summer. Here is a picture from last year..........

    {{gwi:513313}}

    November 24, 2006

  • oath5
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    That's a pretty picture, and what odd angled branches! Why can't vendors just post pictures like that!? Very interesting form, quite informal suitible for a cottage garden even, I like that a lot. I was sure most camellias were rather rigid and formal, something that, for the spot would look awkward which of course is why I asked in the first place for a more spreading, curvy form, but this seems rather flexible. Have you ever pruned it?

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