Azaleas are flowering shrubs that are members of
the Rhododendron genus. They are native to North America, Asia, and
Europe. Their flowers dazzle in shades of shimmering pinks and pale peaches to
deep reds and pure white. Evergreen azaleas are in the subgenus Pentanthera and deciduous azaleas
are in the subgenus Tsutsutsi.
They are generally hardy to USDA zones 6-9, though there are a few cold-hardy
varieties available as well.
You can put together collection of early-, mid-and late-season
blooming varieties and have an azalea flowering in your garden for six months
or more… and with the newer re-blooming varieties, the flowering season can
extend practically all the way through the year.
Plant them in the fall or early spring in a part-sun
location where they can attain their full size and you will never need to prune
them. They do not love to be in hot afternoon sun and prefer an acidic soil,
but basically they are low-maintenance and rewarding shrubs that can live over
100 years.
If you do wish to prune them, do so right after they finish
flowering, so you don’t cut off next year’s buds. Remove dead or damaged
branches at any time of year.
A mulch of pine bark, pine needles, or wood chips helps to
keep moisture in the ground, even out changes in the soil temperature, and
keep weeds out. Fertilize azaleas after their spring bloom using a
slow-release, acid-loving plant food and water the fertilizer in
well.
Azaleas are easily propagated from cuttings or by layering.
Species azaleas can also be grown true from seed .
Pollinators love azaleas. In particular, white-blooming
kinds attract nighttime moths and red-blooming ones attract hummingbirds.
Azaleas are long cherished as symbols of spring and
renewal. They are extremely popular landscape plants due to their brightly
colored blooms, long-lasting flowers, and their ease of cultivation. 2026 is
the Year of the Azalea and April is Azalea Month. Find out more about azaleas
at the Azalea Society of America website:https://azaleas.org/.
Azaleas
– you can grow that!
2026 is the #yearoftheazalea
And #AprilisAzaleaMonth
Benjamin Y. Morrison, the famed horticulturalist who was the
founder and first director of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, is
noted for cross-breeding different strains of azaleas to produce the Glenn Dale
cultivars, which are prevalent today throughout the eastern United States.
Morrison lived in Takoma Park, MD, and many of his Glenn Dale introductions can
be seen throughout the city’s private home gardens and public parks.
Gardenia (Gardenia species) is an evergreen flowering shrub. Its beautiful blooms are usually white or yellow and have a wonderful fragrance. Its leaves are shiny and thick.
Gardenias for the garden are normally around 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, though there are some Gardenia species that can grow to 50 feet high.It is hardy to USDA zones 7 to 11.Gardenia is in the coffee family and is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia.Gardenias prefer to grow in part sun to part shade. Ideally, situate them in morning sun and afternoon shade. They need well-draining soils that is fertile and on the acidic side. Do not let Gardenia completely dry out between waterings.Mulch them well around the root zone and prune out dead branches as needed, You can deadhead the spent blooms to encourage reflowering.Gardenia flowers throughout the summer into fall and makes a good cut flower.Use an acidic, slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants for your Gardenias. Apply the fertilizer around the root zone in spring after the last frost and again six weeks later.Plant a Gardenia where you can enjoy the scent wafting through your garden.Gardenia: You Can Grow That!The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.Audio, Videos, and Text by Kathy Jentz Editing and Additional Video Footage by Miguel Zarate➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine~ Podcast: GardenDCIf you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles: ~ Mock Orange Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/03/mock-orange-plant-profile.html~ Carolina Allspice Plant Profilehttps://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/carolina-allspice-plant-profile.html
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Dr. Mark DeBard, board member of the International Lilac Society, all about Lilacs. The plant profile is on Trout Lily and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on the Lilac in Nosferatu: Symbolism of Lilacs and Death.
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 6: Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Show Notes:
01:19 Introducing Dr. Mark DeBard
01:50 Was Mark born with chlorophyll in his veins and a green thumb?
04:00 Mark talks about his home garden and planting lilacs
04:55 Mark’s growing conditions in Central Ohio (Columbus)
06:20 How Mark became a volunteer master gardener
06:50 Mark’s involvement with the International Lilac Society (ILS)
08:16 “Why lilacs?”
10:21 The four main types of lilacs
12:37 Lilacs’ roots in East Asia
14:33 Kathy and Mark discuss lilacs’ need for cold exposure
16:00 Species of lilac that fare well in the DC area (Hyacinthiflora)
17:35 The seven recognizable colors of lilac flowers
19:10 Best growing practices for lilacs
24:15 Moving techniques for lilacs getting too much shade
24:55 When and how to prune lilacs
27:40 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz
29:30 Mark talks about lilac suckers
30:55 Kathy and Mark talk about lilacs’ appearance in late summer and disease
33:15 Mark speaks more about Hyacinthiflora
37:53 Propagating lilacs and planting new cuttings
45:46 Mark discusses the ILS auction
47:50 Mark talks about the issue of reblooming
54:53 The Mackinac Island Lilac Festival
55:50 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight
57:15 Trout Lily Plant Profile
58:45 What’s new in the garden this week?
01:03:00 The Last Word by Kathy Jentz: Nosferatu and Lilacs
01:09:03 How to support the GardenDC Podcast
And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!
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