Korean Fire Camellia. The great attribute of this cultivar is its cold-hardiness. It was found by Barry Yinger in 1984 on an island off the southwest coast of North Korea, but belonging to South Korea. This is the same island on which Barry found Liriope platyphylla 'Korean Giant' which we later introduced. This selection is hardy to zone 6, -10-0°F. The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO has reported that it is hardy there. This is one zone hardier than most Camellia japonica cultivars. Its flowers are a single fragrant, deep red with brilliant bright yellow stamens. Sizes are reported up to 5 in. in diameter, but ours are more consistently about 3 in. plus in size. It was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant Award in 2003. Grow in the same conditions as other Camellias, well drained and filtered sun.
Zones 7-9
