It’s camellia time in California where you’ll find festivals, parades and flower shows dedicated to the small trees and shrubs recognized for their beautiful flowers similar in appearance to roses. There are 100-300 species and approx. 3,000 camellia hybrids around the globe, but one special place you may want to see them is Sacramento, known as Camellia City.
Californians can easily grow camellias by knowing where and when to plant them. The state’s growing zones range from 6-10 with camellias especially thriving in zones 7-10 from the Central Valley to coastal regions (Monrovia Ice Angels series are hardy to zone 6.) Camellias need slightly acidic soil that is well-drained and do best with partial shade.