How to Grow and Care for Azalea Bushes Rhododendron spp.
Beloved for their delightfully bright and long-lasting flowers, azalea shrubs make a dazzling statement in the spring garden. But there are also varieties that flower in early summer and early fall.
So, with a bit of planning, and a large enough garden, you can enjoy those delicious blooms for up to eight months!
Some are attractively fragrant, with a spicy or sweet, fruity aroma. And the foliage provides pretty fall colors as well.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Shrubs are available in a range of sizes and shapes with a clean, contained profile that requires little maintenance.
And with over 10,000 registered cultivars, there’s a wide selection to choose from.
In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know to cultivate azaleas in your garden.
Here’s what’s to come:
What Are Azaleas?
Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron genus, and they are members of the heath family (Ericaceae).
Sometimes they’re classified into two distinct subgenera, Pentanthera and Tsutsusi, other times they’re two of the three main groups that make up the Rhododendron genus.
For the home gardener, what’s important to remember is that they fall into two types: deciduous and evergreen.
Most evergreen varieties are native to Japan, with a few species each from China, Korea, and Taiwan.
The evergreens grown in home gardens are typically hybrids developed for improved qualities such as disease resistance, flowering time, and cold or heat tolerance.
The deciduous species are native to eastern Asia, eastern Europe, and North America.
Several native North American species grace our gardens, such as Florida flame (R. austrinum)
The website greengrove.cc is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
A highly ornamental shrub, Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense) features fragrant fringed flowers and fantastic, colorful foliage – a beautiful addition to gardens with mild winters.In late winter to early spring, and sporadically through the summer, th
Barberry bushes are robust evergreen or deciduous shrubs with bright green, red, orange, or burgundy foliage.Whether you’re growing it as a hedge, as a foundati
Finding color in the garden during the spring and summer is easy, with so many gorgeous flowers in bloom. But did you know you still enjoy attractive, colorful plants throughout the cooler months of autumn, and right into winter?We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy f
If you love growing common sage in your herb garden and live in a warm area, you’ll want to consider adding Cleveland sage into the mix.Salvia clevelandii, also known as California blue, frag
Looking for something different for your yard? How about your very own Snow White in the form of a shrub?The bright, snow-white berries of snowberry bush will pro
Blueberries are popular with home gardeners because, let’s face it, they’re delicious. But while the berries get most of the attention, the bushes are beautiful plants in their own right.Blueberry plants bloom during mid- to late spring – t
Are you confused about the many types of bees that visit your lawn and garden, or maybe even concerned that some might be nesting in your home?Sure, they all buzz around and collect pollen.But many species look alike
Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is a delightful ornamental shrub with large, showy flowers that thrives in hot, humid climates.But they also make excellent container pl
Tall and stately with sweetly fragrant clouds of billowing blooms, garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is an upright, showy plant that flowers throughout the hot days of summer.A North American wildflower that’s become a clas
Woody shrubs give wonderful structure to gardens and landscapes. And ones that add pretty flowers, luminous foliage, and multi-season color give even greater value – like spirea.Beloved by greenhorn and green thumb gardeners a
Wrapping up the growing season with a fabulous display of fall foliage, many trees and shrubs offer an unsurpassed showing of vibrant, colorful leaves – including my favorite color of the season, orange.We link to vendors to help you find relevant produc