AROUND THE WORLD

Generally, camellias grow best in the temperate regions of both south and north hemispheres.  Some species grow in more tropic regions, but at higher altitudes.  For example, Camellia sinensis -- the tea plant -- thrives in India and Sri Lanka.  Other species, such as Camellia nitidissima and Camellia amplexicaulis, require warm, semi-tropic climates in which the temperature never falls below about 4 C, or 40 F.

Hybridizers are continually facing and accepting the challenge of developing new varieties that can grow in otherwise unfriendly conditions.  Camellia x williamsii cultivars, for example -- a family of hybrids first developed in the 1920s -- enable gardeners in northern locations in particular to grow camellias that bloom generously despite a lessened light intensity, compared with the light available in regions nearer the equator.  Cold-hardy camellias are currently being developed from particularly tough stock from China, South Korea, and Japan, for growing out-of-doors even in such normally "hostile" conditions as those found in Ontario, Canada; Massachusetts, in the U.S.; and in Germany, Denmark, and Norway, in Europe.