Orchid October Magic camellia. (Photo by Allen Owings, LSU AgCenter)

New to the plant market a few years back, the great October Magic series of Camellia hiemalis was developed by Bobby Green of Green Nurseries in Fairhope, Alabama. These are in the Southern Living Plant Collection.

Varieties include Bride, Inspiration, Orchid, Dawn, Snow, Ivory, Rose, Ruby and Pink Perplexion.

Bride is a small, very double, pure pink, flowering shrub with a dense conical growth habit. This variety is a profuse bloomer.

Dawn has large rose-like flowers. Blooms are blends of pink and resemble flowers of a Camellia japonica. The variety is ideal as a single specimen or for use as an intermediate hedge. Plants have dark green foliage.

Inspiration is a favorite. It has large double flowers that are white with a narrow maroon margin. New spring foliage is maroon.

Another favorite is Orchid with white-to-blush, small, semidouble flowers that have orchid pink shades to the petals. Many blooms cover this plant.

Rose has small, very double salmon-rose blooms. This plant is an early bloomer and has a dense, upright habit.

Snow has a large, double white flower with a magenta edge. New spring foliage is copper tinged. Plants are compact and mounding.

Ivory has creamy white, fully double, peony-like blooms. It is a profuse bloomer and has a vigorous upright habit.

Pink Perplexion has a spreading to rounded, compact growth habit with soft pink flowers similar to the popular camellia Pink Perfection.

Ruby is a dense, semi-dwarf plant similar to ShiShi Gashira. It blooms heavy and has fully double ruby-colored flowers.

Allen Owings
Rick Bogren