If you want pure, saturated pink through the quiet months, Warm Hearted™ Pink Camellia delivers. Its clear pink single blooms, brightened by golden centers, appear from fall and continue into spring—longer than most sasanqua types. The color stays crisp instead of fading muddy in cool weather like many older varieties. We like planting it where winter light catches the flowers and turns them into a focal point.
Selected by John Davy of Panhandle Growers in Florida, Camellia x sasanqua ‘JDCXRM0616’ was bred for heavy bud set, strong branching, and notable heat tolerance. It grows 10–12 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide, forming a substantial evergreen shrub with a naturally upright outline. The foliage is dark green and glossy, giving structure even when the plant pauses between bloom cycles. It works beautifully as a flowering hedge, privacy screen, or as a single anchor in a mixed border.
Warm Hearted™ Pink Camellia Care
Plant in part sun, with morning light preferred in warmer regions. In hotter zones, provide protection from intense afternoon rays to prevent leaf scorch. Soil should be acidic, ideally between pH 5.5 and 6.5, rich in organic matter, and free draining. Water thoroughly after planting and keep the root zone evenly hydrated, especially during bud formation, but do not allow roots to sit in standing water. Apply an acid-based fertilizer in early spring once flowering tapers off to support foliage and next season’s buds.
This camellia blooms on old wood, so shape it only after flowering finishes. Remove stray or crowded interior branches to maintain airflow and a balanced form. A layer of mulch helps buffer soil temperature and conserve moisture during summer heat.
Warm Hearted™ Pink Camellia Spacing
Space plants 8–10 feet apart for hedging or screening in the landscape so each shrub can mature without compression. For container planting, start with a pot at least 18–20 inches wide and ensure consistent watering, as containers dry more quickly than garden beds. Pair in the landscape with liriope along the base for texture, tuck in foxglove for spring height contrast, or combine with azaleas and rhododendron for a layered evergreen border that extends the flowering season.
