I think the info luis_pr provided was more than I could about camellia heat tolerance. All I can add may not even be related, but I have a former coworker who grows tropical fruits in the outer suburbs of Houston. He and his wife told me they are aware of the spring blooming camellias but didn't recall ever seeing the fall blooming ones. Just not noticing, or are they genuinely less common? I have been in SE VA and NC much in the fall, but I feel like sasanquas seem less common in those areas, too. Which is a shame: Sasanquas have a reputation of being more sun tolerant up here, too, and for example...at the 'Chesapeake House' I-95 rest stop, there used to be Camellia sasanquas in full sun near the entrances that were sometimes blooming as late as Christmas. A sign to northern travelers that you'd entered the geographic south, if not quite the political south. ;-) Alas, they were all torn out and replaced with hideous "eco" landscaping a few years ago when the MD I-95 rest stops were rebuilt. Natives only, decidedly uninteresting ones, too, and even planted in a way that just made them just look like weeds!

Okame has Taiwan as a parent. You might find this article is interesting. I like flowering apricots also but the one I have, Kobai gets bitten each year by the cold. The Clemson Botanical gardens have several varieties of flowering apricot that are glorious so hopefully mine will eventually be too. They have a grouping of varieties in the meadow across from the Wren House and a specimen in the hosta garden. I choose Kobai after smelling all of them but Kobai had the deepest aroma- although it might have just been that tree. I love the fragrance of the apricots. I'm only guessing that the trees in Clemson are Okame. I might be wrong. Here is a link that might be useful: taiwan cherry

I didn't see enough votes for ROSES so I'll throw in a couple: Fragrant Memory - the pink rose everyone should have, mine currently has about 50 to 60 buds and blooms on it today! It's planted beside my front door so people can smell it when they come in. Pink Peace - my favorite for color and fragrance, planted on the other side of my front door. Apricot Nectar - the apricot colored rose everyone should have, beautiful! Then honorable mentions: Papa Meilland - not a prolific bloomer but makes up for it in beauty and fragrance Camelot - the orange rose that everyone should have Lagerfeld - light lavender and a to die for fragrance Rio Samba - lovely That's all I can think of at the moment...I currently have a vase on my desk with Fragrant Memory, Lagerfeld, and Apricot Nectar in it! And am overwhelmed by the fragrance.

BBoy; I kinda knew in the back of my mind that Bungo was a hybrid. If you pick up ume at a grocery store, you will find larger ones at times and sometimes they are labelled "Bungo". "Does it look hybrid", wow, not sure. I have both of the varieties I mentioned above and the Bungo branches are darker. I have only ones Spring to judge this by, but the Bungo blooms first and will outlast the Kanko Bai. I have been told (and can't confirm this) that the older varieties are white and that the different colors we see now in the blooms have been through breeding. Keeping this real.... Ume is broken up into two groups, "haraume" or flower ume and "miume" or fruit ume. Just around the corner, it is used in the Japanese New Year decoration, sho-chiku-bai (pine-bamboo-apricot) which signifies good fortune, strength, and bravery respectively. Sho-Chiku-Bai is also a brand of popular sake..... Michael