Azalea ultimate guide

Azaleas are bright and beautiful two-lipped, funnel-shaped fragrant flowers. A key distinction between these flowers and others in the Rhododendron species is their five projecting stamens to the rest’s ten. Their most common colour is pink, but you can get them in orange and white. Through years of hybridisation, there are close to 10,000 varieties of the plant. Let us look at some common ones.

The meaning and symbolism of Azalea flowers

There’s a famous Chinese story about an emperor who enjoyed victorious glory in war and received high praises but was lonely despite the adulation. One day, someone gave him some Azalea flowers, and he immediately fell in love with their beauty. He planted the shrubbery in his garden, and his heart was content. This is how Azalea flowers became associated with passion, luck, love, and happiness. Here are more meanings of the flower:

Personal and people care

Some cultures believe the flower symbolises taking care of yourself and those around you. Therefore, it forms a perfect gift when you need to wish someone a quick recovery. Additionally, sharing it with a loved one is an ideal way to communicate your affections.

Temperance

Azalea flowers are the perfect gift for a modest and kind person, effectively communicating their personality. Expect them to appreciate and care for the flowers.

Affluence and elegance

The rich beauty of Azalea flowers blends well with a homestead looking to convey affluence and elegance. Such beauty and resilience in a garden won’t go unnoticed by visitors.

Passion

The vibrancy of Azalea flower colours conveys this emotion well. Therefore, gifting a lover a flower bouquet with Azaleas is ideal.

Abundance

Azalea flowers also signify abundance; anyone who wishes to attain abundance in their life will appreciate them as a bouquet or for planting in their garden.

Homesickness

The Chinese and Japanese gift their parents this flower to inform them they miss home. Typically, a person gifting their parents these flowers indicates they will soon visit.

How to water Azalea flowers

Azalea flowers thrive in moderate water conditions. As such, you need to check the soil often and only water it when it gets too dry. Excess water is detrimental to the flower’s growth and overall health.

Typically, indoor Azalea flowers need more watering attention since they lose water faster. Water loss is essential for humidifying your house, but too much could dehydrate the flowers. Therefore, aim to water them at least twice a week, being careful not to overdo them. Those using a water wick watering system need to check whether the reservoir needs topping up every three or four days.

Outdoor or garden Azalea flowers don’t need watering, mainly if your area receives regular rainfall. You only need to irrigate them should you face long, dry spells.

Remember to avoid overwatering the flowers since they prefer not to remain submerged in water for too long. However, you can dip them for not more than 30 minutes in case you leave them too dry for too long to revive them.

When watering, pour the water directly onto the top of the soil. An irrigation can is ideal, as it will ensure even spreading of the water on the soil. Additionally, pouring the water directly on the soil avoids destroying the flower petal had you poured the water on them. Some varieties have elegant but fragile petals that can’t withstand that water pressure.

Azalea plant care tips

Azalea flowers are easy to care for due to their resilience. However, this does not mean you can neglect them. You only need to approach them with some sense and practicality. Here are some Azalea plant care tips:

Keep them in a location with moderate to high humidity, typically around 46% relative humidity. Should you need to humidify the room, use a cool mist humidifier. Also, avoid misting the flowers directly, giving fungi a chance to grow.

In terms of light, it depends on your chosen Azalea variety. While they all require light, some thrive better in the shade, while others prefer direct sunlight. Therefore, find out more about your specific type. As a precaution, provide the flowers some sunshine time in the morning, but keep them in the shade in the afternoon when the sun is intense.

Spring and early summer are the perfect times to prune Azalea flowers when they have blossomed, and there are several discoloured and shrivelled flowers. Avoid pruning in late summer, autumn, or winter, as you may cut the flower buds, thus preventing them from blossoming.

Keep cut Azalea flowers in a vase in a cool section of the room to prolong their vibrancy. You only need to add water to the vase and change that water daily to extend the life of the cut flowers. Ensure you cut long stems so you can trim the submerged sections off after a few days, thus keeping your flower vase looking amazing.

Find out whether your Azaleas are evergreen or deciduous, so you’re not surprised when they shade during autumn. Fortunately, deciduous Azaleas tend to blossom quickly once the seasons are over.

You can use fertilizer and mulch on the flowers once the blooms fade in spring. Use a controlled-release, acid-forming fertilizer. Additionally, avoid mulching in autumn as the mulch retains heat that delays the onset of dormancy. You don’t want the flowers to suffer winter damage.