PlantFiles: Common Camellia, Japanese Camellia
Camellia japonica 'White by the Gate'

Vossner's photo shows a lower blossom that is brown. Typical for white-flowered C. jap. in NC, for two reasons. Frost is highly unpredictable, and the distribution of the browning suggests that was the problem.

There is also Blossom Rot or blight caused by a fungus, with the darker petal veins supposedly the clue. We are supposed to keep all blossoms/petals off the ground, from which it spreads, which will be more of a chore with cold dropping buds as well as blooms; and we can use fungicides as drench and at bud-break and later. I'm fighting that on unknown white C.j. and 'Pink Perfection' with some success -- but will not fight cold damage with covers and all that.

Where I see the reds, I don't see the cold problem here as much, and so far none of the blossom rot.