A Mountain Hardy Camellia

Two rooted camellia sticks followed me home. I know they are cold hardy in a unique south facing garden in the valley below. They are seedlings of the tree sized, fruit bearing camellias growing there that I think came from the breeding program of the National Arboretum. I ID'd them once, wrote the name down and now I can't find what scrap of paper I wrote it on. Oh well.

Will they be cold hardy on the mountain top? Two remaining allegedly cold hardy camellias I bought long ago are still alive and about the same size as these rooted sticks. Maybe these will do better.

I am willing to plant them and find out if these camellia seedlings might be cold hardy on the mountain top. I know they come from good stock. I needed something to replace the Heptacodium miconioides, Seven Son Flower, that froze to the ground the previous winter. It finally came down in this winter's chop and drop.

I have an opening inside the daffodils, red clay pipe sections and the hydrangea. A evergreen camellia can fit in there just fine.

I've been down this road before. Spring freezes up here can be killers. Cold hardiness is almost irrelevant. Being fooled into breaking dormancy to soon by a winter warm spell is the most common method of death and destruction.

It's always something. I keep planting. Abundance is good backup.

Two baby camellia sticks planted together. Two chances to get one plant even if both manage to survive.