Amazing Azaleas

Azaleas belong to the genus Rhododendron - useful to know if you are looking up information about this phenomenally varied and absolutely huge group of shrubs - ‘cos you wont find a listing under A! Azaleas can be either deciduous or evergreen and the two are really very different and have their own unique qualities and beauty.  

Evergreen Azaleas, despite their name, are actually semi-deciduous. They have two types of leaves: the lighter textured, often larger spring leaves and the tougher, more leathery autumn growth.  Spring foliage is shed in autumn but the summer leaves are largely retained over winter. Although they can reach 1.8m, they tend to be small to medium sized bushes. They enjoy acid soil and don't take kindly to the hot afternoon sun. The most commonly available is the Kurume range.

AZALEAS KURUME 

Azalea kurume were originally grown in the Kurume, on Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan.  They were introduced to the West by plant-hunter Ernest H Wilson. His se1ections, known as ‘Wilson's fifty', were drawn from plants which had been cultivated for several centuries. The flowers of Kurume are not quite as bold and brassy as A. indica - the blooms are smaller but the quantity is profuse. The Kurume range is very long flowering and is extremely hardy as well. Many Kurume azaleas have ‘hose in hose' flowers in which the sepals become petal-like and create the effect of a second flower. They are best planted in full sun or very light shade and respond well to trimming after flowering and are invaluable for late winter display and mass planting.

 If you want something a little more dramatic then it would be worth considering Deciduous Azaleas. The deciduous hybrid azaleas are known for excellent fall colour and unsurpassed, profuse, early spring flowers, mainly in yellows and oranges, although new hybrids have grown to include some pinks. The deciduous azalea is usually less picky about soil conditions, though it too prefers acid conditions and thrives in sunny sites. These are multi stemmed shrubs that never form a central trunk. Leaves are thin and the large buds contain both flower and new foliage. Flowers are trumpet shaped and appear in spring with or before the new leaves. They enjoy cold winters.

There are two major groups cultivated in New Zealand:

ILAM AZALEAS

Ilam Azaleas were originally bred in NZ. These Azaleas originated in 1860 when Sir John Cracroft Wilson came to Christchurch from India and brought with him seeds of a few varieties of Rhododendrons and raised seedlings. Some of these were growing at "Strowan Estate" where Edgar Stead grew up. Stead later purchased the Ilam Estate and planted some of the Rhododendrons from Strowan there. There were only a few varieties available in New Zealand, so he imported some for Ilam, and from 1918 he began using these to experiment with layering, grafting and raising seedlings to produce larger and more brilliant flowers.

In 1917 Stead was given seeds of the North American varieties and began experimenting with hybridising them. In 1925 he went to England to further his knowledge of rhododendrons and azaleas and was invited to the homes of some great hybridists - Lionel de Rothschild - who developed the Exbury Azaleas, Lord Snow, and Gerald Loder and was given hundreds of plants by them which were planted at Ilam. Stead was given permission to cross some of the best Exburys which resulted in the production of the beautiful azaleas for which Ilam is famous. Ilam Estate is now the site of Canterbury University, but the Ilam Botanical Gardens remain intact on the campus and continue to be famous for their azaleas.

The Ilam Azaleas come in very hot shades of orange, yellow and gold along with quieter pastels. Many are strongly perfumed, some are two-toned and some cultivars are even multi-coloured. They are extremely hardy to cold yet tolerant of quite a lot of sun. Grow them in the same acid soil conditions as other Rhododendron/Azalea forms, mulch regularly and they will be happy. The large flowers appear in spring and are simply breath-taking. The new foliage often has an attractive bronze undertone but eventually turns green. In autumn the foliage changes again and provides an excellent colourful display.  

KNAP HILL AZALEAS

Knap Hill hybrids were developed at Knap Hill estate in Surrey, England in the late 1800's by Anthony Waterer. These were cross-bred extensively and only the best of the resultant hybrids were se1ected. They are large bush shrubs up to 3m tall. The leaves of most of these hybrids turn bronze then brilliant red or yellow before falling in autumn. Flowers are large, open, fragrant and richly coloured and are borne in very large trusses of up to 30 blooms. Lionel de Rothschild from Exbury developed the Exbury strain from the Knap Hill azalea seedlings.

We have a fantastic range of Azaleas in stock that are just budding and bursting into bloom and begging for  a special place in your garden! Pop into the Garden Centre or browse our website (click here) and you will be sure to find something that takes your fancy!

And speaking of things that take your fancy, you simply must try this fabulous recipe for Double Baked Cheese Souffle! It is simple and scrumptious and you need not be afraid of the 'souffle' word because this one does not fail.

Happy Gardening!

Lloyd and Harry