Caption
One of many of the azalea bushes in my backyard now blooming.
Known as “The Royalty of the Garden,” azaleas have long been adored for their brightly colored flowers and outstanding form and foliage. Here are a few tips for growing azaleas in your garden!
How to Grow Azaleas
The best time to plant azaleas is in late spring or early fall. Evergreen azaleas do well in partial shade with some wind protection. Deciduous varieties flower more profusely in full sun.
- Provide well-drained, humus-rich soil that is slightly acidic (pH 4.5–6).
- Mulch well. Shallow-rooted, azaleas tend to dry out quickly if not mulched. A mulch of oak leaf mold, pine needles, or aged oak, pine, or hemlock sawdust will keep soil acidic and moist. Read more in our Mulching Guide.
- Fertilizer isn’t needed. The decaying mulch will provide all of the nutrients that azaleas need.
- Seldom bothered by insects and diseases, azaleas require little care once established, except for watering during dry times.
Varieties to Fit Your Landscape
With thousands of varieties, there are azaleas for just about every landscape situation:
- Deciduous varieties are considered the hardiest, many growing as far north as Zone 4. Some, such as the bright-pink roseshell azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum), are even hardy in Zone 3. With few exceptions, most evergreen azaleas are only reliable in Zone 6.
- Low-growing ground cover azaleas such as ‘Joseph Hill’, a bright-red-flowering evergreen that grows only to about a foot.
- Tall varieties include the white-blooming sweet azalea (R. arborescens), a deciduous plant that can reach 20 feet tall.
- Weeping azaleas, such as ‘Pink Cascade’.
Late-Blooming Varieties
While most azaleas flower in spring, there are varieties that extend the season:
- ‘Flame Creeper’, an orange-flowering ground cover azalea, and ‘Weston’s Lemon Drop’, with peachy-color buds that open to a soft yellow, both flower in late June or July.
- The pink-flowering ‘Sweet September’ is an exceptionally late bloomer.
“The Royalty of the Garden” seems to be a fitting name for this beautiful and majestic plant, but we’ve got a hunch that once your garden is filled with the colors and fragrance of beautiful blooming azaleas, you’ll probably think that it’s you who’s getting the royal treatment.
See our Rhododendron and Azalea Plant Guide for more information on how to plant and care for these gorgeous shrubs.
Comments
You should plant your azalea in a spot with some shade. A combination of shade and sunlight is just right for azaleas. If you plant in full sun, it won't grow as well.
We usually advise that you plant azalea on the east or north side of a house so that's a good call. Also, you're on the right track by providing acidic, organically enriched soil. Also, the soil needs to drain well so it doesn't get to soggy but also not too dry. Avoid watering the leaves; only water at the base.
Otherwise, take care that you do not plant the azaleas too deeply; the top of the root ball should be slightly above soil level. Avoid cultivating right around the plant as it has shallow roots that should not be disturbed.
Indoor azaleas can be very tricky. First, avoid repotting until spring when all signs of flowers are gone.
One common reason why azaleas do not survive indoors is because they need cool to cold temperatures and most homes are too warm. They also like moist air and most homes are too dry.
To keep it cool, add compost and keep it moist with soft water; their leaves do shrivel if they are underwatered or dry.
Finally, make sure your plants are in bright light but not direct sun or too much sun.
If you can keep well watered, in bright light, and cool, the plant will be happy, however, we've found most homes simply aren't cool enough.
Azaleas adapt to different conditions and do well in semi-shade. Camellias bloom and grow better in partial shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun. Young plants prefer shade.
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- …
- 10
- Next »
Hi Donald,
Don't prune the plants and you can leave the brown leaves on. Hopefully you'll be able to see new growth soon. If the azaleas were covered with snow during the coldest periods they should be OK. You can add mulch around the plants. If you use pine needles they will make the soil more acidic. Add a bit of compost or aged manure around the plants when they start growing.