Azaleas are so ubiquitous in my area, I stopped noticing them for awhile. Hard to believe, considering how bright most of them are. But I've finally begun to embrace my acid soil and I gave azaleas another try. Oh my, what a sight for winter weary eyes!
I've got at least another month before my Azaleas will be back in bloom, but they should be just about ready to light up the landscape, in warmer areas. Keep your eyes peeled. Azaleas are some of the hardiest evergreen shrubs and there are varieties that thrive just about anywhere. They really do put on a great show. They're a welcome sight in the spring, but many will repeat bloom throughout the season. If you're interested in a lower maintenance, native inspired garden, azaleas are an ideal choice.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
Thank you for the extensive and informative post on Azaleas.
A lot of research went into this article and it shows.
Great job!
I got my love for azalea’s when I was young. My father to me and my brother over to the Muskogee, OK Azalea festival. Looks like it’s scheduled for April 10th this year.
If you are in the Central US, you won’t be disappointed. Tulsa is nearby for other activities as well.
http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okmuskogeeazalea
dear friend, for the first time I read something that cheer me up. I’m having trouble with my azaleas to and I live in south Brazil were it grows up very well for everybody. In fact, the nearest town is call ” the azalea city” but my plants don’t respect me and they keep sad with me and they don’t flourish. Any way, my own town stands for ” the roses’s city. pretty charming and myself I have a few of them. Beatiful colors and scents.
Teresa, sometimes plants just aren’t happy in our yards. But if you’ve got roses, things are pretty good. Enjoy.
“Azalea” is from the greek, “xeros”, desert + “leirion”, lily= “desert lily”. Someday I may get some Roseshell azalea, also called Early azalea (botanical name: Rhododendron prinophyllum). “Rhododendron” means “tree rose”, and “prinophyllum” means “first foliage”. The nursery descriptions detail the deciduous shrub as, “tubular funnel lily-like shape rose-pink, rarely white, very sweet spicy clove-like or bubblegum-like fragrance 4-12 flowered trusses. ” There is a data base online that list many types of azaleas, at http://www.rhododendron.org/rhododendronA-Z.htm
That’s a lot of azaleas and rhodies! I’ve seen photos of gardens that were totally dedicated to these shrubs. I’m not quite that infatuated yet, but I love the name “desert lily”.
I live in SE USA and around here azaleas are in full bloom NOW, couple of months early. BUT since virtually no winter this year poor plants are blooming too soon! Our best display is usually around mid-April.
I am often house bound and several years ago I planted 3 1-gallon size white azaleas at the back f a flowerbed visible from my kitchen sink. Just yesterday I was telling a friend that it looks like someone spilled 3 very large bags of cotton balls. Absolutely gorgeous.
I have one of the encore (blooms 3-4 times a years) deep pink azaleas in a bed at front of house near driveway. It, too, has been confused by such mild winter. It has been in bloom almost continously since Thanksgiving!!
I encourage all in favorable growth zones to try an azalea or two!
Since Thanksgiving!
I was in Savannah a couple of years ago in spring and the azaleas were late that year. I didn’t get to see the big show, but I did notice that azaleas were EVERYWHERE. It must be an amazing sight., driving through the South during azalea season.
Hi flower lovers
Can someone send me seeds of azeleas?
Regards
Bobgi
I just collected seed pods last weekend. They have not opened yet, but I’m always happy to share. Mine are not everlasting, but I love the gorgeous Spring show they give me. I’m a sucker for all azaleas if they aren’t all sad and twiggy,
Bobgi,
Usually Azaleas plants are bought, rather than the seed. But if you want seed you can order some here in May: http://azaleas.org/index.pl/azseedlist2012.html
I live in Atlanta and have at least a dozen Gumpo azaleas. They were fine for many years but then I got die back. It would start with a major stem and spread to the adjacent one even tho I removed all bare stems. After 3/4 of each azalea was dead, the remainder survived. A couple of Gumpo I purchased about 10 years ago are in perfect health and about 4 times too large they are so healthy.
What could have caused the die back?
Beth, it’s hard to say, without seeing them. Gumpo’s are pretty hardy varieties. It sounds like it could have been a fungal disease. They can spread quickly, especially in damp conditions. If it start again, I’d take a piece into either your local Master Gardeners or a good nursery. It might be as simple as spraying a fungicide.
Azaleas are great, except that deer eat them like green salad. We have to spray ours several times a year, but in bad years they still eat all new growth.
Inm, that’s a good point to bring up. Deer love azaleas, especially in winter and when there’s new growth.