Azalea 'Delaware Valley White'

Questions about azalea 'Delaware Valley White'

Does azalea 'Delaware Valley White' need sun or shade?

Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does azalea 'Delaware Valley White' grow in?

USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does azalea 'Delaware Valley White' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should azalea 'Delaware Valley White' be planted?

3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 4 ft (120 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many azalea 'Delaware Valley White' plants do I need?

At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is azalea 'Delaware Valley White' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, including the nectar, are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like azalea 'Delaware Valley White'?

These come closest to doing what azalea 'Delaware Valley White' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Fothergilla 'Mount Airy': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 12 in taller, 8 in wider.
• Red chokeberry 'Brilliantissima': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 3½ ft taller, not evergreen.
• Pearlbush 'The Bride': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 8 in wider, not evergreen.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after azalea 'Delaware Valley White'?

Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lupine: from late May to early July, 3½ ft tall.
• Siberian iris: from late May to late June, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does azalea 'Delaware Valley White' look like in winter?

Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' keeps its green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.