Gardening Life 365 ™

As a garden favorite and staple in many gardens, azaleas are loved for their bright color blooms and easy-care foliage. These beautiful shrubs are reliable as an evergreen and striking when in bloom. Some varieties even have foliage that deepens in color with cooler temperatures. Azaleas come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and are suitable for almost any landscape and environment.

There are thousands of species and hybrids of azaleas. They include both evergreen and deciduous forms. Most evergreen azaleas are hardy to zone 6. While deciduous varieties are hardier, tolerating as cold as zone 3. This makes deciduous varieties popular in colder areas.

Azaleas are of the genus rhododendron but have smaller, more narrow, pointy leaves. They have beautiful ornamental flowers that are funnel, tubular or bell-shaped. Azaleas are slow growers and can take more than 10 years to reach their mature size. Varieties include short and tall shrubs that can grow from 1 foot to 20 feet tall.

Traditional azaleas bloom in spring, and the sun requirements vary by type. Most prefer partial sun to filtered shade. However, newer varieties offer extended bloom times and have different sun requirements. Options like the Encore Azalea have extended bloom times. These varieties re-bloom during three seasons, including spring, summer, and fall. Encore Azaleas also prefer full sun to partial shade.

In addition to using extended blooming varieties, planting different species of single bloom azaleas with varying flower times can also produce a blossoming garden from spring to fall. But, since there are so many hybrids with differing details and care requirements, the remainder of our post covers Encore Azaleas. We love this variety because it naturally gives a multiple-season bloom.