Autumn Spirit Camellia

Autumn Spirit Camellia extends the flower season with rich deep pink blooms that arrive in fall instead of waiting for spring. The small to medium double, peony-form flowers open against glossy dark green evergreen foliage. Its rounded 5- to 6-foot size makes it easy to use near foundations, patios, and shaded borders without giving up too much space. Place Camellia x 'Autumn Spirit' where fall color is usually short-lived, because the flowers arrive just as many perennials are finishing.This cold-hardy hybrid comes from Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua breeding, giving it better cold performance than many fall-blooming camellias. The upright, spreading habit can be trained as a multi-stemmed shrub or limbed into a small evergreen tree. Hummingbirds may visit the flowers, and the blooms are also useful for cutting when you want fresh color indoors. Use Autumn Spirit Camellia as a hedge, espalier, woodland border shrub, container plant, or compact evergreen screen.Autumn Spirit Camellia CarePlant Autumn Spirit Camellia in morning sun with afternoon shade, partial shade, or bright filtered light. It grows best in organically rich, well-drained soil amended with pine bark or compost if native soil is heavy clay. Keep soil acidic to mildly acidic, around 5.0 to 6.5 pH.Water deeply during the first growing season, then reduce watering as the roots settle in. Fall-blooming camellias form and open buds while weather can swing from warm to cool, so steady soil moisture helps reduce bud drop. Feed after flowering with an acid-forming camellia or azalea fertilizer, and avoid late-season feeding that can leave tender growth exposed to cold.Prune lightly after flowering to shape the shrub, remove damaged wood, or guide branches for espalier. Avoid heavy pruning unless you are correcting structure, since the natural rounded habit is part of the plants value. Keep a thick mulch layer over the root zone, but leave a clear ring around the trunk so bark stays dry.Autumn Spirit Camellia SpacingSpace Autumn Spirit Camellia 4 feet apart for a solid hedge, or 8 feet or more apart when growing it as an individual rounded shrub. Use a container at least 20 to 24 inches wide with drainage holes and a bark-based acidic potting mix.The best companions include azaleas and rhododendron, heather, ferns, or mountain laurel in acidic and evenly moist soil. For containers, use hellebore or pansies at the base for cool-season interest without competing heavily with the camellia roots.