Description

Azaleas are deciduous flowering shrub and belong to the genus Rhododendron. Color variations range from red, purple, pink, yellow, and orange. Azaleas can also get to heights of up to 15 feet.

Care, Maintenance, and Other Information:

While azaleas are relatively easy to care for and maintain over the years, they do require some extra knowledge:

• Azaleas prefer shady spots, or spots with a lot of shade time during the day, but some can thrive in the full sun. Full-sun exposure will result in smaller plants, though.
• Slightly acid soil (pH 5.5-6) is best.
• Mulch around the azalea’s base to help keep moisture in. Use mulch that is acidic like pine.
• Azaleas need good drainage. So if you’re planting in compact clay, mix the clay with something that will aerate it like compost or gypsum.
• Azaleas “set blooms” for next year’s flowers during the late summer and fall. If you prune your azaleas, only do so immediately after the current year’s blooms have fallen off. If you wait too long, next year’s blooms will set and you risk cutting those off, in turn, leaving you with a bloomless azalea.
• Control petal blight with fungicides.