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.
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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)
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