- Hardiness
- Zones 7 to 9
- Light
- Part shade
- Water
- Average, about an inch a week
- Size
- 6 to 12 ft
- Blooms
- Late fall to spring
- Colors
- red, pink, white
Growing tip. Blooms in the cold months in the South. Plant out of morning sun so frosted buds thaw slowly.
When to plant camellia by zone
| Zone | Median last / first frost | When to plant | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 16 / Sep 25 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 4a | May 12 / Sep 28 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 4b | May 8 / Oct 1 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 5a | May 3 / Oct 5 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 5b | May 1 / Oct 10 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 6a | Apr 29 / Oct 16 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 6b | Apr 22 / Oct 22 | Not hardy here | Too cold |
| 7a | Apr 16 / Oct 25 | Spring: Apr 2 to May 28 Fall: Aug 16 to Sep 13 | Comes back |
| 7b | Apr 5 / Nov 1 | Spring: Mar 22 to May 17 Fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 | Comes back |
| 8a | Mar 29 / Nov 7 | Spring: Mar 15 to May 10 Fall: Aug 29 to Sep 26 | Comes back |
| 8b | Mar 16 / Nov 14 | Spring: Mar 2 to Apr 27 Fall: Sep 5 to Oct 3 | Comes back |
| 9a | Mar 2 / Nov 26 | Spring: Feb 16 to Apr 13 Fall: Sep 17 to Oct 15 | Comes back |
| 9b | Feb 1 / Dec 9 | Spring: Jan 18 to Mar 15 Fall: Sep 30 to Oct 28 | Comes back |
Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.
Similar flowering shrubs
Bigleaf hydrangeaPart shade · Zones 5 to 9AzaleaPart shade · Zones 5 to 9RhododendronPart shade · Zones 4 to 8GardeniaPart shade · Zones 8 to 11More for your zone: zone 7 flowering shrubs, zone 8 flowering shrubs, zone 9 flowering shrubs.
Frequently asked questions
What zone does camellia grow in?
Camellia is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. Outside that range it struggles with the winter. Find your zone by ZIP code.
How much sun does camellia need?
Part shade. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.
Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.