I recently visited one of the largest camellia nurseries in the country and am happy to report that another wonderful southern plant is marching north.

The saga started about 20 years ago when the south was ravaged by record cold winter temperatures. The result was thousands, if not millions, of dead or damaged camellia plants. As one would guess, a few survived intact and they became the basis of breeding programs that produced plants which will tolerate our temperatures. The final leap came when bud hardiness was established. Varieties now exist with flower buds hardy down to minus 10 to 15 degrees.

Camellias offer a wide color range with either single or double flowers. There is at least one variety that isn't too stable and will produce random different colored flowers. The foliage also shows some variegation in this one. Single flowered varieties are generally more fragrant than the double flowered varieties. There are both spring and fall blooming camellias. The spring bloomers will start our season here and the fall bloomers will end it. In other words, you can get late winter blooms or fall blooms lasting until nearly Christmas. Cold temperatures occasionally will tarnish the aging flowers, but the opening ones will usually escape damage.

The shrub is evergreen and needs attention similar to that given a rhododendron or azalea. In other words, they like a lower ph soil and protection from the afternoon sun and winter winds. The fall bloomers will tolerate more sun than the spring bloomers but both want some wind protection in the winter.

Camellias are an ideal low maintaince plant for the dry understory. Once established, they don't want extra water. In fact, excess water is the easiest way to kill one. In North Carolina we viewed dozens of plants ranging in age from maybe five to 12 years old, planted amongst pine and oak trees, which had never been pruned.

My host also pointed out that while their daylily bed never flowered because of browsing deer he has never seen damage on camellias. Deer will eat anything if really hungry, but that was encouraging news.

Before you run out looking for one remember that this is a southern plant that the breeders are making available to us farther north. That doesn't mean it can be treated like a lilac or forsythia.

For now, the recommendations are to plant in the spring or early summer rather than the fall. Camellias do not produce massive root systems and with the evergreen foliage, dehydration can be a problem in the first winter.

Use wilt-proof or some other respiration inhibitors as a winter spray the first year. This will greatly reduce water loss through the leaves. Another alternative would be to wrap the plant with burlap the first winter. After the first winter, out of the wind, you should have few problems. Incidentally, everything I said in this and the last paragraph could apply to azaleas, rhododendrons and that other southern traveler, crape myrtles.

It was a quick trip. North Carolina isn't that far away but we slowed down enough to enjoy the wonders of the fall leaves.