Camelia question

I received the following message from a friend that lives in the UK:

"We have a number of Camelias, one a deep pink usually flowers in January, some times February and now and then December. I put late flowering down to cold winters but now I think about it, it seems to flower later after a mild early winter. This has been a mild November/December and it is only just flowering. Perhaps they need early frosts to encourage budding?"

Not being able to grow them here due to my soil conditions, I cant answer his question, but perhaps someone can?

Let the discussion begin!

 

Hi Sandy ,

I'm jusy wondering if it is more to do with the conditions in Summer. Camellias ( and Narcissi ) begin budding in late July/August during which time they need lots of water. Last year most of us had a long, hot dry Summer and I was wondering if they were watered enough.

 

Havent a clue. Hes had them in the garden for a good number of years, so I would expect his observations have been made over time. I will ask though.

 

Well, I only have two, but had them more than 20yrs, one is always earlier than the other, whatever the weather.
The earliest is just showing signs of colour on the buds, it did the same last year about now, but then slowed down due to the cold spell we had late last Feb.
The other has still tightly closed buds.

Both just react to the weather conditions at the time.
Cant say I've noticed them needing a cold winter to bud.
As @KFF says, the buds are formed late autumn /early winter the year before, they then wait until conditions are right for each particular cultivar to open the flowers, some of the real early ones often get frosted.

Now other shrubs do need frost to initiate flowering, Forsythia, for example, I have heard, will not flower well without a good cold spell.