Camellia 'Grace Albritton'

Camellia 'Grace Albritton' is a large evergreen shrub offering year-round interest but prized for its unusual flowers. Lustrous, rich green foliage makes a handsome backdrop for the graceful fully double blooms that appear in various forms and petal formations in late winter to early spring. Borne in clusters, the 3-inch blooms are white to soft pink with painterly markings ranging in shades from light lavender to blush pink to rosy red and in variegation from heavy to a very light picotee, making each bloom unique. The blooms make lovely indoor displays.

This long-lived woody shrub, also known as a Japanese camellia, is a favorite in the South, where it is often called the winter rose. It has an upright, bushy habit and an average growth rate. Lower branches can be removed to form a small tree. Whether grown as a shrub or a tree, it adds an elegant structural element to the garden. It makes a perfect specimen or addition to a mixed bed and creates a particularly pleasing hedge.

Plant shallowly in a location with dappled shade and loose, organically rich, slightly acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.5), well-drained soil. It is adaptable to loamy and silty soils and sandy and clay soils if amended. Consistent even moisture is important but soggy soil should be avoided. It is heat, humidity, and drought tolerant (once established) but should be protected from wind and direct, hot afternoon sun. And it is deer resistant.