Camellia Leaf Damage in January: Diagnosing Freeze Injury vs. Scale Insects

Q: This happened in January to my Camellia japonicas so it can't be scorch—we don't have much light or heat then.

This looks like freeze damage.

I sometimes see yellow splotching from scale insects. But with tea scale, leaf centers would be yellow mottled, not edges. Red splotches indicate cold damage. I see cold damage on nearby flower buds too.

Damage varies between varieties and years. Warm fall likely led to this in January's cold. Late fertilization and wet weather can also cause damage.

Usually not a big deal. Leaves stay and new ones grow in spring.