No, camellias don't bloom twice a year on the same plant. Each camellia produces one set of flowers per season. But here's the good news. You can get nearly six months of blooms by planting different species that flower at different times. This trick gives you the look of camellias bloom twice without any single plant doing double duty.
The camellia blooming season depends on which species you grow. Sasanqua camellias flower from October through December, giving you color in fall when most plants wind down. Japonica types bloom from January through April, picking up right where sasanqua leaves off. Williamsii hybrids overlap from late winter into spring. Plant one of each and you cover almost half the year with camellia flowers.
I set this up in my own Zone 8 garden about five years ago. I planted three sasanqua shrubs along my front walk and two japonicas near the side of the house. The sasanquas start blooming in mid-October and keep going through Thanksgiving. By January, the japonicas take over with their bigger, showier flowers. My yard has fresh camellia blooms from fall through early spring every single year now.
NC State Extension data shows that each sasanqua plant blooms for about 4 to 6 weeks total. But each flower only lasts a few days before it drops. Japonica blooms hang on the plant much longer, sometimes staying open for 1 to 2 weeks each. This means japonicas put on a bigger show at any given moment even though their total bloom window is about the same length.
The camellia flower cycle starts months before you see any blooms. Buds form in summer on the growth from the current year. This is why you should never prune your camellias in late summer or fall. If you cut branches after July, you'll remove the buds that would have become next season's flowers. Prune right after the last flowers fade in spring to keep your bloom count high the next year.
You can stretch your bloom season even further by picking early and late varieties within each species. Some sasanquas start in September while others don't peak until December. The same goes for japonicas. Mix early bloomers with late bloomers and you fill in any gaps between the species. I've found that 4 to 5 plants of mixed types give you the most complete coverage.
Give your camellias a feeding in early spring right after they finish blooming. Use an acid-loving plant food at the rate on the label. This gives them the energy to set strong buds for the next season. Water well through summer to support bud growth. A healthy, well-fed camellia produces two to three times more flower buds than a stressed one.
Read the full article: Camellia Plant Care and Growing Guide
