The Southern USA state of Alabama has both a state floral emblem, the Camellia, and a state wildflower, the Oakleaf Hydrangea. The Camellia was named the state flower of Alabama in 1959, replacing the original state floral emblem of goldenrod, which was adopted in 1927. The Oakleaf Hydrangea was named the state wildflower in 1999.
The Camellia is not actually native to Alabama or North America at all for that matter. It’s actually native to parts of Asia like China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, but is a very popular landscaping shrub all across the southern USA. The most popular type is Camellia japonica L, which also has the most varieties. Camellias are evergreen and are sometimes called “the rose of winter” as they are at the height of their blooming season in January and February. Camellia blooms come in a variety of colors: any shades of Pink, Red, White, and multicolored showy blooms. It is quite easy to grow them in the right conditions, adding to its popularity for landscaping purposes. Once cut, the blooms will last several days indoors as well.
Oakleaf Hydrangea is native to the Southeastern USA and can be found all across Alabama. Oakleaf Hydrangea grows 6-8 feet tall and is a deciduous shrub. They have large green oak shaped leaves and produce large white bloom spikes in the spring. As the weather transitions in summer, the blooms turn a dappled rosy-red as the age and the leaves turn a nice red in the fall. The Oakleaf Hydrangea is a very popular landscaping plant as well as it grows wonderfully all over the southern USA.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Camellia japonica
