You should look around and call your local nurseries or even Home depot. I got a couple of camellias from them last week and they boasted being hardy to zone 6. They were called winterÂs water Lilly. I also got snow flurry and I think it is called sweet Jane or something like that from Homestead gardens. Needless to say HD were half the price but I try to support local nurseries when I can.

Anyway what I was trying to say it is always safe to look around and buy locally especially when zone hardiness is in question. if they have it at your local garden center then it is pretty safe to say that you should be okay.

Also if you are in the city you may just have your own microclimate that is slightly warmer then your perceived zone

You might also check with Roslyn Nursery in Dix Hills NY, website link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roslyn Nursery

thanks faerieannette and forrestal! Great sugestions and I will look into local nurseries...maybe even HD.

Thanks again for your help!

Steph

i second roslyn nursery. if you can get out there, they have a wonderful variety of many kind on plants. i used to live in nyc and there is a grerat collection of camelias in la Plaza Cultural - a community garden at 9th Street and Avenue C

Here are some links that I collected in my search for cold-hardy camellias. Should give you some "food for thought".
Enjoy!

http://camellia-ics.org/_ics/ackerm1.htm
http://members.aol.com/camsoc1/ACKERMANCOLDHARDYVARIETIES.htm
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Newintro/camelli1.html
http://www.cspv.org/ackerman.htm
http://www.camellia.gulfcoast-gardening.com/selection/coldhardy.htm
http://www.merrifieldgardencenter.com/v.php?pg=462
http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.nsf/PlantThumbsAv?SearchView&Query=field+botanical+contains+camellia&Count=10

Does anyone think that this SW exposure might be a problem?