Azaleas: The Crown Jewels of the Spring Garden

Few shrubs announce spring like azaleas. Whether Rutherfordians, Kurumes, or Indicases, their pastel palette—snowy white, lavender, pink, rose, salmon, orange, red—leads the seasonal parade.

Choosing Your Type

Rutherfordians: The All-Rounders

• Single, double, semi-double flowers in all spring shades
• Evergreen—foliage show persists after bloom
• Large flowers in clusters
• 2–4 ft at maturity; buds frost-tender below 20°F, but plants hardy to 0°F

Kurumes: Profusion Personified

• 2–6 ft; hybridized in Kurume, Japan (~30 years ago in US)
• Signature trait: overwhelming bloom density
• Small foliage, often drops early winter
• Dense, low habit—ideal for mass planting, foundation facers

Indian Azaleas (Indicas): Southern Spectacle

• Large shrubs to small-tree stature
• Massive blooms: 3–4 inches across, mainly double/semi-double
• Original Asian stock; modern varieties from American hybridization
• Carolinas, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile famous for spring displays

Culture Essentials

• Light: Shade or partial shade; north side of house ideal
• Soil: Acidic—amend generously with peat or leaf mold
• Food: Acid-formulated fertilizer only
• Water: Abundant, especially in warm weather

Match the variety to your space, give them acid soil and shade, and azaleas will reward you with the spring's most breathtaking floral spectacle.