Question
I live in upstate NY, zone 5 or 6 and want to plant camellias.  I know they dont grow here but I would like to try.  I have had success in growing crape myrtles here for the past 6 years even though they are not supposed to grow here.  Can you help?  

I really love the camellias look and other tropical plants but I dont have enough information on trying tropicals outdoors! I've even checked out Palm trees and it seems like the only one that might grow up here is needle palm.  I am buying bamboo this spring too but from what I read I think that should grow here.

If you have knowledge of palms,camillias or any other tropical plants please let me know.

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Tina,

You might have a tough time with camellias in your zone. The problem with camellias is that while the shrubs thenselves are hardy, the flower buds of many varieties freeze when the temperatures start dropping into the teens. There are spring blooming camellias and fall blooming camellias. Spring blooming camellias have larger more luxurious blooms but you'll have a better chance of getting flowers on a fall blooming camellia since the flower buds are not subject to winter cold. Fall blooming camellias are generally hardier as well. A good source for mailorder camellias is Roslyn Nursery in Dix Hills, NY. They have an online catalog at: www.roslynnursery.com

Plant your camellias in the warmest spot you have. They like a soil that is high in organic matter so add plenty of peat moss and or compost. Mulch your camellias to conserve moisture, they are not particularly drought tolerant. They do well in partial shade but not full shade.

There are many varieties of bamboo that would be hardy in your area. Bamboo is not necessarily a tropical plant. Many grow naturally in areas that get frequent winter snows. There are basically two types of bamboo. Running bamboos spread by long thick roots (stolens) and shoots could pop up some distance from the parent plant, hence the term "running". Running bamboos can get invasive and in time and will take over a small garden so keep this in mind when planting. The other type of bamboo is refered to as "clumping". These bamboos spread slowly from offsets close to the parent plant. They are a better choice for smaller gardens and are easier to control. Bamboo requires sun for best growth. Once established they require no special care other than to prune out dead wood.

Needle palms would be hardy in your area with protection. Another option would the windmill palm, trachycarpus fortunei. This is less hardy than the needle palm but faster growing and if well cared for will form a trunk 10 to 15 feet tall. Again you would need to plant this in the warmest spot you have. Usually this is up close to the south wall of your house. Winter protection involves heavy mulching and wrapping the palm with some sort of insulation (not plastic). Some northern growers go so far as to place christmas lights around the trunk and central growing point to provide additional heat on the coldest nights. The palm itself is hardy to around zero degrees but the leaves will freeze and die at around 10 degrees. If the plant is healthy it will quickly regrow any leaves lost during the winter.

Another option for your area would be a banana called Basjoo. This is a true banana that is hardy to zone 5 with a deep mulch. You are too far north to get actual bananas however the plant is lush and tropical and if happy will  spread to form a small banana grove. They need a lot of water, fertilzer and sun. Both the windmill palm and hardy banana can be found on ebay. Just make sure you check the sellers feedback before you bid. Here are links to a current ongoing auction for a windmill palm and a link to a mailorder nursery called Glasshouse Works. Scroll down on the Glasshouse works page until you get to Musa basjoo... ...http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2314292907&category=2033........http://www.glasshouseworks.com/catalog2003.html

Hope this was of some help to you.

Regards,

Vito