Rhododendron Plants are a genus of over 1,000 woody plant species in the heath family and includes Azaleas. A simple rule to straighten out the confusion that regularly occurs when Rhododendron and Azalea appear in the same sentence is: All azaleas are Rhododendrons, but not all Rhododendrons are azaleas.
Rhododendron (pronounced roe-doe-DEN-dron), or Azaleas, have often been considered difficult to grown and very picky about its surroundings. Breeders have worked to make the fantastically beautiful azalea more readily available and easier to grow in more climates and soil conditions, as well as extending their blooming season. If your azalea becomes leggy or is leggy when you receive it, let it become established well after transplanting, and then prune back hard to 1/3 or 1/2 its size. As a young plant, in order to ensure a well-formed, full, shrub, pinch the growing tips to force new branches from the lower buds and then prune to shape prior to the second bloom or midsummer. Azaleas bloom on old wood so will be setting new buds for next year’s growth by summer’s end. Azaleas also prefer acidic soil, so will benefit greatly from fertilization with Holly-tone® as the first blooms start to fade in late spring or early summer.
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