2026 Ocala Camellia Society Annual Show
OCALA CAMELLIA CLUB: CAMELLIA SHOW AND PLANT SALE
The Ocala Camellia Society will host its annual camellia show and plant sale Saturday, January 24, 2026 and Sunday, January 25, 2026 at the Fort King Presbyterian Church fellowship space at 13 NE 36th Avenue in Ocala.
“Camellias are a wonderful addition to Florida gardens,” said club president Belea Keeney. “They give us year-round, evergreen shrubs then burst into colorful flowers during our winter months.” Some varieties start to bloom in late October and most continue through March in north Florida, she said.
This annual juried show, presented in cooperation with the American Camellia Society (ACS), will feature hundreds of spectacular camellia blooms grown by enthusiasts from throughout Florida and neighboring states.
Visitors will be treated to displays of camellias in every color, form, and size imaginable from delicate singles, semi-doubles, anemones, peonies, rose form doubles, and formal doubles. Cultivars vary in size from miniature to very large varieties, some with spectacular variegation such as striping and blotching.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend the show and participate in the show by entering their blooms. Admission to the exposition and camellia flower entry, for judging, is free. If this will be your first time submitting a bloom for judging, experienced club members will be available to help sort, name, and place flowers. Judging will be performed by experienced ACS accredited judges who will evaluate entries and award honors, including the coveted Best Bloom in Show.
Exhibitors are slated to showcase hundreds of camellia flowers. Past shows have received over 1400 flower entries. Judging takes place on Saturday, January 24th at 10 am, and the show will open to the public for viewing from 1-5 pm, and again on Sunday, January 25th from 12pm- 4pm.
Each day, the club will offer camellia plants for purchase, including varieties especially suited to growing for this region. Additionally, the will be raffles to win camellia plants along with information on their care.
Whether you are a seasoned camellia gardener or novice, the show is a wonderful way to enjoy nature’s winter artistry. In winter, as most flowers across the region fade, camellias burst into bloom and color across gardens offering brilliant palette of pinks, reds, and whites.
Keeney said, “We love camellias because they are an easy to grow perennial shrub with lovely white, pink, or red flowers. They stay green all year and can handle our blistering Floridian summers as well as our cold spells. We invite people to come and enjoy the beautiful blooms at the show and add camellias to their own landscape!”
Several Ocala Camellia Society members have dozens of plants, and some have only one or two shrubs.
“The number of camellias you have doesn’t matter,” says long-time club member Laura Perdomo. “Whether you like having one camellia or dozens, what’s important is that you enjoy the plant, appreciate its blooms, and have fun with it in your landscape.”
Media contact information: Belea Keeney
When you go:
What: Ocala Camellia Society Juried Camellia Show, and Plant Sale
When: January 24th & 25th, 2026. Plant sales takes place Saturday 9am-5pm; and the show is open to the public 1pm-5pm on Saturday and 12pm-4 pm on Sunday. Camellia plants will be available for purchase each day until sold out.
Where: Fort King Presbyterian Church at 13 NE 36th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34470
Cost: Free
Enter blossoms: Show entries accepted 7-10 AM Saturday, January 24, 2026
Learn more: https://www.americancamellias.com/about-american-camellia-society/clubs-societies/local-clubs-societies/florida-clubs-societies/ocala-camellia-society OR
https://www.facebook.com/Ocala-Camellia-Society-100719056688048/?fref=nf
