LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. -- The camellia forest at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, California is not only beautiful, it has an interesting story to tell dating back to World War II. "We ...

When you think about camellia season – which is now – with the earliest bloomers popping in pinks and reds already, it’s easy to see that Southern California is especially suited to their care.

When workers walked into Descanso Gardens on Saturday, they were met with an unpleasant surprise. Most of the gardens’ prized camellia plants had been sunburnt by the extreme heat a day earlier. The ...