I never will forget the first time that I saw this cultivar in full flower for the first time. Frankly, I almost had a wreck. It was in the garden of one of our best customers, and she had purchased the plant from us a few years before. This incredible selection is a Camellia Forest introduction in 1995, and they report that it is a "chance seedling of an unnamed C. reticulata and C. fraterna." It's vibrant crimson-pink 2.5-3 inch flowers are produced in such profusion that it "rivals any azalea in full bloom." Here in zone 8 it starts to flower from late January to late March. It has a narrow tight upright growth habit, which lends itself to a hedge or screen planting. It will totally dominate the landscape when in flower, and it has the heaviest bloom-set when sited in more sun. I promise you will be totally enthralled with this plant. As with all Camellias, give it good drainage with adequate fertility and moisture and plant it shallowly.
