Want to buy your friends the gift that keeps on giving? You can always buy the Gift of Green, especially house plants and orchids. However, this time I’d like to share with you an outdoor plant that is truly a gift: Camellia.

It’s a plant for WOMEN WHO DO TOO MUCH and want blooms in their yard during winter time.

I am attracted to the Camellia because of its dark green glossy foliage and the way the branches seem to spiral up and out. Camellia japonica is the species best known to Southern gardeners for its handsome foliage and elegant winter and early spring flowers. A native of Korea, China, and Japan, this camellia has flowers in colors of white, pink and red. Camellia japonica, the common camellia, is the most popular species. They bloom when few other plants do--in late fall, winter and early spring. The blooms are among the most perfectly formed. They provide the best blooms for cut-flower use since they are known for their lasting qualities.