Reblooming azalea

Questions about reblooming azalea

Does reblooming azalea need sun or shade?

Reblooming azalea grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), 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 reblooming azalea 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 reblooming azalea flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid April to mid 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 reblooming azalea 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 3½ ft (100 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many reblooming azalea 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 reblooming 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 the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like reblooming azalea?

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

• Camellia 'April Blush': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 20 in taller, 8 in wider.
• Globe arborvitae 'Little Giant': the same job in a bed; 8 in taller, grown for its leaves, not its flowers.
• False spirea 'Sem': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to late July, white, not pink.

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

What flowers after reblooming azalea?

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

• Siberian iris: from late May to late June, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Oriental poppy: from late May to late June, 2½ ft tall.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': from mid May to mid September, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does reblooming azalea look like in winter?

Reblooming azalea keeps its dark 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.