Azalea
Azalea is a flower in the Ericaceae family. It grows best in part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 4-9.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Azalea
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Woody shrub (not currently in seed catalog). Bloom season: Spring. Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. Flower meaning: Temperance, abundance.
Azaleas and Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.) are acid-loving shrubs that erupt in masses of funnel-shaped blooms in spring. They prefer dappled shade and moist, well-drained acidic soil. Hardiness ranges widely by species (zones 4-9). Grown from cuttings.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Rhododendron spp.|Hardiness zones: 4-9|Propagation: cutting|Sun needs: Part shade|Water needs: Medium|Mature height: 2-10 feet|Spacing: 48 inches|Bloom season: Spring
Plan your azalea planting
Add azalea to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your azaleaand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Iron deficiency (interveinal chlorosis)
Deficiencymoderate- CulturalTest and address soil pHstrong evidence — extension confidence
Iron is present but unavailable in high-pH soils, so test soil pH and, for the affected bed, lower pH toward the crop's preferred range (especially important for acid-loving blueberries) rather than just adding iron.
- OrganicUse chelated iron for a quick correction· every 2 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
A foliar spray or soil drench of chelated iron can green up new growth per the label; soil-applied ferrous iron quickly oxidizes and becomes unavailable in high-pH soil, so chelate plus pH management works best.