How to grow azalea
Rhododendron species
When to plant azalea
Plant this broadleaf evergreen in spring or early fall, when soil is warm enough for root growth but the plant is not under summer heat stress. Extension guidance rates fall (early enough for roots to establish before the ground freezes) and spring as the two best planting windows for shrubs.
Azalea is timed by season rather than your frost dates, so the planting calendar does not generate ZIP-specific dates for it. Check the cited sources below to fine-tune for your area.
Growing conditions
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Spacing
- 48 to 60 in apart
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 6
Common problems
- lace bugs
- chlorosis in alkaline soil
- root rot in wet soil
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (NC State Extension): Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxterbloom Azalea / Wild Azalea)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center: Planting Shrubs Correctly (HGIC 1052)
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