After three years of drought, combined with my efforts to conserve water, I've discovered that Camellias are just about the only plants in my garden that look as good now as they did before the drought. So, although they need lots of water when they're planted, transplanted, or grown in containers, they are highly drought tolerant once they're established in the ground. The difference between them and the other plants in my garden is so striking, in fact, that I'll gradually replace all of my ailing rhododendrons and azaleas with camellias.