When the days shorten and summer’s riot of color fades, East Texas gardeners are rewarded with one of the most elegant shrubs we can grow: the sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua). These graceful evergreens step into the spotlight just as many plants are winding down, offering blooms from October into December. Their timing alone makes them invaluable, but their charm goes far beyond filling a seasonal gap.

Sasanquas carry a refined air without being fussy. Their lightly fragrant flowers, single or semi-double, often with golden stamens, appear in shades of white, pink, and red. Unlike their cousin, the larger-flowered and later blooming Camellia japonica, sasanquas tend to have smaller blossoms, but they arrive in abundance. A mature shrub can be covered in hundreds of blooms, each one delicate yet resilient against our autumn weather.

The foliage deserves equal admiration. Glossy, dark-green leaves provide a handsome backdrop year-round, making sasanquas useful not only as flowering shrubs but also as evergreen anchors in the landscape. Their naturally graceful form means they rarely need heavy pruning, and when planted thoughtfully, they lend a sense of quiet elegance to garden beds, borders, and even foundation plantings. Sasanquas make excellent  hedges as well as multitrunked small trees.

Happily, sasanquas are well suited to our region. They thrive in acidic soils, which East Texas provides in abundance, and they appreciate partial shade. Morning sun with afternoon protection is ideal. While they can tolerate more sun than japonicas, they still prefer shelter from the harshest rays.

Good drainage is essential. Planting them slightly high, with the root ball just above soil level and covered with mulch, helps prevent waterlogging. Mulching with pine bark or pine straw not only conserves moisture but also maintains the soil acidity and organic matter they love. Once established, sasanquas are relatively drought-tolerant, though they’ll reward consistent watering during dry spells with better growth and bloom.

Fertilize lightly in spring with a product formulated for acid-loving plants. Avoid overfeeding or over-pruning, which can encourage excessive foliage at the expense of flowers. With modest care, these shrubs will flourish for decades, becoming treasured fixtures in the garden.

Several named varieties are widely available in Texas nurseries, and each brings its own personality:

‘Yuletide’ – Upright and festive, with bright red single blooms and golden stamens, often peaking around Christmas.

‘Shishi Gashira’ – A dependable favorite, producing masses of semi-double hot pink flowers on a spreading, mounding shrub.

‘Setsugekka’ – Elegant white, ruffled petals with yellow centers, fragrant and abundant, often trained into small trees.

‘White Dove’ – Compact and slower-growing, with pure white blossoms that add a clean, classic touch.

In East Texas, where gardening is both tradition and pleasure, sasanquas deserve a place of honor. They ask little, give much, and arrive at just the right moment to lift our spirits.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” or “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.