Shrub looks like azalea. Is it?

Katiebird81 · Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:50 pm

We recently bought a house and there's a shrub next to our front door. It's about 4 ft tall and somewhat narrow. I took a picture and Googled and was surprised to see that the flowers look exactly like azaleas. All the azalea shrubs I'm used to are lower and much bushier. Is this an azalea? Also note that the landscape hasnt been cared for in years so I thought this bush was half dead until it bloomed!

Katiebird81 · Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:51 pm

Darnitt. They posted sideways and I can't figure out how to flip it

Katiebird81 · Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:54 pm

Oh, if you click the photo it opens right side up

imafan26 · Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:58 pm

It sure looks like an azalea.

rainbowgardener · Tue Apr 14, 2015 12:02 am

Definitely azalea and it looks quite typical to me. The commonest azalea varieties are in the range of either 2-4' tall or 4-6' tall. Anything less than the 2-4' would be a dwarf, of which there are several varieties.

imafan26 · Tue Apr 14, 2015 12:09 am

I guess I must have had the dwarf, mine never got more than 3 ft tall.

applestar · Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:42 am

You might have had the Indian variety which I believe is dwarf and often used for Bonsai. They are not winter hardy in my area.

I got one of those as a gift plant -- not bonsai, just one of those mass marketed mothers day gift -- and I couldn't keep it alive indoors over the winter due to red spider mite infestation.

catgrass · Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:53 am

It's an azalea, and they can be pruned to maintain about any size/shape you want. Bonsai an azalea? I don't know about that-you'd keep it pruned, and that would destroy it's flowers. They start making next year's flowers pretty quickly after blooming. There are dwarf azaleas that stay real small-mine is about 2 ft tall/wide. I prefer the big guys. My big ones are 6-8 ft. tall-4-5 ft. wide. Love them!

Katiebird81 · Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:39 pm

Thanks everyone! I guess now I need to read the posts on pruning and caring for azaleas!

ElizabethB · Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:11 pm

I have one in my yard. It is an old fashioned Formosa Azalea.

Mother has several, very old Formosa in her yard.

It is easy to get old, over grown Azaleas back into shape. You need to prune as soon as the blooms fade. Azaleas set blooms all up and down the stems so you can prune heavily and still have blooms next year.

My Formosa is about 5' tall. It has just finished blooming. As soon as the rain stops - some time next week - I will cut it back by 1/3.

Several years ago I pruned Mother's Formosa Azaleas back from 8' to 3'. If pruned right after the bloom they do not miss a beat.

I love Azaleas.

Near New Iberia, La. there is Avery Island. It is the home of the Tobasco plant and a beautiful garden. In the spring I try to visit just to see the stunning display of Azaleas.

I am not a golf fan but I did watch bits and pieces of the Master's Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA just to see the stunning Azaleas. Do you ever wonder how they always have stunning blooms regardless of the weather? If the temperatures are high enough to push the blooms prior to the tournament the base of the shrubs are packed in ice to keep them from blooming prematurely. The horticulturalist are masters. They should get a Green Jacket.