Identification

• Hardy Camellias, such as the Oleifera species, are known to bloom throughout the winter. Dr. William Ackerman, author of "Growing Camellia's in Cold Climates," created a species capable of surviving the cold. Snowdrops, a popular English plant with white blossoms, produces flowers in the earliest months of spring while the rest of the landscape is still brown.
  
  

Geography

• Snowdrops are capable of growing in USDA plant zones 2 through 9. However, they preform the best in 4 to 7. Camellia Oleifera thrives in USDA plant zone 6 while Witch Hazel handles zones 3 through 9 in the lower elevations in the eastern US.
  
  

Colors

• Snowdrops are white in color while winter hardy camellias showcase red, pink and white flowers. Yellow blossoms bloom on the Witch Hazel throughout October and November.
  
  

Fun Facts

• The leaves of the Camellia Oleifera are used for tea. Witch hazel is a good plant to use for starting a fire, as its leaves burn more easily than other plants. Rodents and deer, plant pests, stay away from snowdrops as they are considered toxic.
  
  

History

• Civil war soldiers brewed their tea with the leaves of the Benjamin Witch Hazel. The name Camellia honors botanist, Georg Kamel (German Jesuit missionary), who worked in the Philippines during the late 1600s.