Pinxterbloom azalea

Questions about pinxterbloom azalea

Does pinxterbloom azalea need sun or shade?

Pinxterbloom azalea 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 ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does pinxterbloom azalea grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

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

When does pinxterbloom azalea 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 pinxterbloom azalea be planted?

4½ ft (130 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 ft (180 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many pinxterbloom azalea plants do I need?

Usually one. At 4½ ft (130 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4½ ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.

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

Is pinxterbloom azalea 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 NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like pinxterbloom azalea?

These come closest to doing what pinxterbloom azalea does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Black chokeberry 'Viking': the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in narrower, white, not pink.
• Virginia rose: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 12 in shorter, 4 in narrower.
• Double Japanese kerria: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 8 in wider, yellow, not pink.

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

Do deer eat pinxterbloom azalea?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

What flowers after pinxterbloom azalea?

Pinxterbloom azalea is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Mountain laurel: from late May to late June, 8 ft tall (a recorded partner).
• Blue false indigo: from late May to mid June, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Foxglove: from early June to mid July, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does pinxterbloom azalea look like in winter?

Pinxterbloom azalea drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is pinxterbloom azalea good for bees and butterflies?

Pinxterbloom azalea is visited by pollinators, bees, specialist bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

It is native to the United States.