17 Beautiful Pink Blooming Camellia Varieties

If you are looking to grow winter blooming flowers, look no further than the lovely camellia. Camellias have a special place in the hearts of so many gardeners, with their hardy nature and cool weather blooming habits. It is no wonder some of the most famous gardens in the Southern United States feature these plants specifically for their winter landscapes.

Originating in Southern and Eastern Asia, camellias come in many different varieties with thousands of hybrids available, a seemingly endless bounty to choose from. While camellias bloom in many different colors, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite pink camellias from different regions. Some varieties date back to Victorian times, while one famously named specimen earned her moniker as recently as 2008.

The art of cultivating these garden beauties is an old one, but it is certainly very much alive and blooming. It is no wonder, as these evergreen plants make a lovely focal point in the winter and their lush, dense foliage can be used to create privacy and a wonderful backdrop for summer blooming flowers. Let’s take a look at 17 of my favorite pink camellia varieties!

‘April Kiss’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘April Snow‘

• Bloom Time: Late Winter through Early Spring
• Geographical Location: North Carolina, USA
• Plant Size: 8’ tall and 5’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Partial to Full Shade
• Plant Zone: 6-9

While most camellia varieties are only cold hardy to zone 7, there are a few hybrids that can survive the winters of zone 6. April Kiss happens to be one of these special camellia varieties. This variety makes a very nice, small, compact tree when mature, reaching 8’ tall.

This popular pink flowering shrub blooms in late winter and into the spring. The blooms are formal double petal form, and come in a range of pinks, from pale to nearly red.

This variety likes some morning sun but should be sheltered from afternoon sun as well as cold winds, as these can damage the petals. This variety was specifically bred and released in 1995, with the purpose of surviving colder temperatures.

‘Anticipation’

Scientific Name: Camellia × williamsii ‘Anticipation’

• Bloom Time: Fall through Spring
• Geographical Location: New Zealand
• Plant Size: 7’-15’ tall and 4’-10’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Full to Part Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

And finally, the camellia you’ve been waiting for, or at least, that’s what the name of this gorgeous flower would like to evoke. The Anticipation is worth every moment spent waiting for its spectacular blooms. One of the longest blooming varieties, Anticipation blooms from fall through the spring, and it is glorious.

This variety is a williamsii hybrid, bred for resilience and cold hardiness. It blooms profusely, throughout the entire season. Blooms are extra-large (6”) and a warm salmon pink in peony form.

Lacy and ruffled inner petaloids are sprinkled with yellow stamens. A tidy plant, Anticipation drops its spent heads and requires no deadheading. This is an easy to maintain and truly breathtaking variety. Great for camellia novices!

‘Ballet In Pink’

Scientific Name: Camellia x williamsii ‘Ballet in Pink’

• Bloom Time: Winter and Spring
• Geographical Location: North Carolina, USA
• Plant Size: 8’-10’ tall and 4’-6’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Filtered Sun, Morning Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-9

In Mid-winter, Ballet in Pink bursts forth into an unrivaled performance of blooms. This hybrid variety is known for its profusion of flowers, with multiple buds forming on each node. In fact, you may want to thin out the buds on this camellia to one per node, so that the plant will produce larger blooms.

In addition to the abundance of blooms, the beauty of this variety is something truly spectacular. The large (4’-5’) blooms come in peony petal formation, and an ethereal orchid pink. Bright yellow stamens peek through the ruffled inner petals. The plant itself is tree-like in growth and has a taller, narrower profile than some other varieties.

‘Brilliant Gem’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Hermes‘

• Bloom Time: Late Winter, Early Spring
• Geographical Location: Japan
• Plant Size: 8’-12’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Morning Sun, Afternoon Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

The Brilliant Gem, also known as the Hermes camellia, is an older cultivar imported from Japan. Brought to America in 1875 by the chief gardener of King Louis XVI of France, it’s easy to see the broad appeal of this stunning specimen. Its unique and flamboyant blooms have made this a long lasting and highly popular variety.

Brilliant Gem produces large, semi-double to peony, fragrant blooms. The coloration of these blooms is truly breathtaking. Deep salmon pink centers are edged with an irregular white border.

Deep pink veining often appears through the pink centers, and they open fully to expose irregularly scattered stamens among ruffled inner petals. Despite their striking irregularities, the final product is a wonderfully unique bloom.

‘Buttons n’ Bows’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Buttons N Bows’

• Bloom Time: Late Winter to Spring
• Geographical Location: California, USA
• Plant Size: 10’ tall and wide
• Sun Exposure: Full to Partial Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Displaying large, showy, fully double blooms, Buttons N Bows makes an especially nice hedge with its grand spread. Buttons grows as wide as it does tall and can also be trained into a rather impressive tree shape. Originating in California, Buttons N Bows has lovely, dense, dark green foliage, year-round.

The blooms on this variety are unique and elegant. It boasts formal double petal formation fading from dark pink edges to a delicate light pink center. The petals have a pointed shape, making them appear almost starlike. The blooms are sturdy and make wonderful cut flowers.

‘Dream Weaver’

Scientific Name: C. Sasanqua ‘Dreamweaver‘

• Bloom Time: Fall through Early Winter
• Geographical Location: Unknown
• Plant Size: 6’-8’ tall and 4’-5’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Part Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-10

If you’re looking for the camellia of your dreams, look no further than Dream Weaver. This vigorous, upright growing camellia is truly dreamy, as the name suggests. It is also more sun tolerant and heat tolerant, than many camellias. Dream weaver is an early bloomer, flowering in the fall months, and blooms prolifically.

Dream Weaver’s double blooms are on the smaller side (2”-3”). The blooms are deep rose pink in the center, fading gracefully to white edges. This hybrid also has some clefting at the end of its petals, lending a lacy appearance to its blooms. When spent, the flowers fall to form a blanket of petals beneath the plant.

‘Ella Ward Parsons’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Ella Ward Parsons’

• Bloom Time: Winter and Spring
• Geographical Location: Virginia, USA
• Plant Size: 6’-10’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Morning Sun, Filtered Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Named for the wife of the President of the American Camellia Society, the Ella Ward Parsons is a gorgeous flower by any standard. Similar to Pink Perfection, Ella has a neatly organized, formal double petal formation. Its medium-large (4’) blooms are blush pink around the edges, and fade to a wonderful creamy white in the center.

This variety makes lovely cut flowers but can be a bit cold sensitive. Protection from colder winds can be helpful and achieved by planting in a spot protected by larger trees.

‘King’s Ransom’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Kings Ransom‘

• Bloom Time: Spring
• Geographical Location: South Carolina, USA
• Plant Size: 6’-9’ tall and 4’-6’ wide
• Sun Exposure: full shade to full sun
• Plant Zone: 6-10

This hardy variety has the benefit of being able to thrive all the way north to zone 6, and south to zone 10 making it the most versatile plant on this list. It can handle more sun than most camellias once mature and can also do just fine in full shade. King’s Ransom is a well-balanced plant that makes a lovely focal point.

 Fragrant, large, showy pink flowers bloom in loose peony petal form. The petals are varied in size and ruffled, and open to reveal partially visible stamens interspersed with the inner petals. A mid to late season bloomer, King’s Ransom’s blooms make lovely cut flowers.

‘Les Marbury’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Les Marbury’

• Bloom Time: Winter and Spring
• Geographical Location: Virginia, USA
• Plant Size: 8’-12’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Afternoon Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Late in the winter, Les Marbury bursts into bloom, bearing the most delightful candy-striped flowers! This full-sized japonica hybrid is a unique specimen indeed. While classified as pink, this camellia actually bears tri-colored flowers.

With a pale pink, formal double petal formation as its foundation, Les is striped in red and white from the center of the flower to the tips of its uniquely pointed petals. While the flowers are small (2.5”-3”) they pack a ton of personality into their smaller stature. These flowers remind me of the adage that dynamite comes in small packages.

‘Look Again’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Look Again‘

• Bloom Time: Late Fall to Winter
• Geographical Location: California, USA
• Plant Size:  12+’ tall and 4’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part to Full Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

This conversation starter will make you do a double take. The name, Look Again, is an appropriate one for this spectacular variety. The blooms that appear on Look Again can vary in shade from white to medium pink on the same plant.

Blooms are large and come in anemone petal formation. The outer single petal ring is commonly a deeper shade, fading into a paler pink or white in the center.

The center of this bloom is tightly organized and can contain more than 200 individual petals. This variety can grow to 12’ or taller, making it a wonderful focal point for your winter landscape and a lovely backdrop in the summer.

‘Mrs. Lyman Clarke’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Mrs. Lyman Clarke‘

• Bloom Time: Mid to Late Spring
• Geographical Location: Virginia, USA
• Plant Size: !0’-!2’ tall and 6’-10’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part Sun to Part Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

This next camellia is a dazzling plant with somewhat simple origins. Registered in 1946, by a Mrs. Lyman Clarke, this specimen was an unmarked seedling that she purchased at a variety store! Its humble beginnings certainly aren’t obvious in the appearance of this plant’s blooms.

Mrs. Lyman Clarke blooms late in the season, it is a spring bloomer. The flowers come in the form of deep pink, peony blooms with creamy white centers and sprinkles of glowing yellow stamens. A crystal bowl of these blooms as a centerpiece, or just a conversation piece, will keep guests talking about your gorgeous camellias all season.

‘Moonshadow’

Scientific Name: C. Sasanqua ‘Moonshadow’

• Bloom Time: Fall through Mid-Winter
• Geographical Location: Alabama, USA
• Plant Size: 8’-10’ tall and 4’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Filtered Sunlight
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Moonshadow may sound like a delicate flower, but this is quite a hardy variety of camellia. Most sasanqua varieties are more heat and humidity tolerant than their japonica counterparts. Moonshadow is no exception. The sturdy greenery and smaller (2”-3”) flowers make this variety particularly good at standing up to the sun and heat of the South.

Blooming in the fall, Moonshadow is covered in flowers of double petal formation, which are pure white in the center, and edged with bright pink. This variety is not good for cutting flowers, as they have a looser formation. However, this makes pruning a bit easier on the gardener, as the plant drops its own flowers, making deadheading unnecessary.

‘Omega’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Omega‘

• Bloom Time: Late Winter to Early Spring
• Geographical Location: Louisiana, USA
• Plant Size: 12’-15’ tall and 5’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Morning sun, Afternoon Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-10

Omega is a lovely, fast-growing variety that blooms mid-season, during the winter months. This variety can be pruned to the shape of an attractive evergreen tree, providing a lovely addition to your garden year-round. Hailing from Louisiana, this is a true gem of the South.

Omega’s blooms are large and eye-catching. The 5’ semi-double petal blooms are predominantly white with coral edges and streaking. When fully opened, the flowers show plentiful, bright gold stamens, creating a warm glow from the center, adding a third shade to the mix of colors. Omegas blooms resemble full garden roses.

‘Pink Perfection’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Pink Perfection’

• Bloom Time: Late Winter through Late Spring
• Geographical Location: Japan
• Plant Size: 8’-10’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Kicking off this list of pink camellias, is one that has been a favorite since the Victorian Era. And it’s not hard to see why. Pink Perfection is one of the most visually perfect flowers in the garden with its well organized, formal double petal formation, and symmetrical shaped blooms.

Pink Perfection has origins in Japan and was imported to California in 1875. This camellia continues to be a favorite in the American South and can be found in many of the most manicured gardens.

Its attractive, dark green foliage and stately height makes it an attractive addition to the landscape year-round, and its lovely blooms last for a significant part of the winter and spring.

‘Pink Snow’

Scientific Name: C. Sasanqua ‘Pink Snow‘

• Bloom Time: Fall through Winter
• Geographical Location: Mississippi, USA
• Plant Size: 10’-20’ tall and 5’-12’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Part Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Pink Snow makes a lovely, flowering privacy hedge. This sasanqua variety is slightly more sun hardy, tolerating several hours of direct sunlight, preferably in the morning, with filtered light in the afternoon.

This variety shows off in an abundance of small to medium light, lavender-pink, double petal blooms which open to reveal a cluster of long, pale yellow stamens, making them a pollinator favorite.

The ruffled edges of Pink Snow’s blooms create a sweet delicate appearance to this camellia. The blooms are quite sturdy though in spite of their delicate looks.

‘Shibori-Egao’

Scientific Name: Camellia x ‘Shibori Egao’

• Bloom Time:  Fall
• Geographical Location: Japan
• Plant Size: 8’-10’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Part Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Named Shibori-Egao, meaning “smiling face,” this lovely variety hails from its native Japan, and shares a first name with a lovely method of fabric dying common to the region. This is a flower that will surely bring a smile to your face.

Flowers bloom early in the season’s fall months. These bi-color blooms are bubblegum pink splashed with pure white. Large and showy, flowers open fully in semi-double petal formation, to reveal a large cluster of well organized, bright yellow stamens. Truly, this is the epitome of happiness in flower form!

‘Zelda Fitzgerald’

Scientific Name: C. Japonica ‘Zelda Fitzgerald‘

• Bloom time: Winter
• Geographical Location: Alabama, USA
• Plant Size: 8’-10’ tall and 6’-8’ wide
• Sun Exposure: Dappled Sunlight
• Plant Zone: 7-9

As an avid reader and former teacher, I love a good literary allusion in the garden. Considering the things Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald had to say about the love of his life, it is no surprise that the Zelda Fitzgerald of flowers would be a flamboyant and spectacular specimen. Zelda, known as the ‘First American Flapper,’ truly loved a party and was known to be the life of quite a lot of them.

This semi double to anemone form bloom is truly breathtaking. Deep pink outer petals form a stage for a mass of paler pink, ruffled petaloids mingled with glowing golden stamens.

Zelda has the distinct characteristic of being among only a small number of camellias that are fragrant. This is truly a camellia that lives up to all the fire and excitement of its namesake.