Everything you need to know about azaleas
When you think of azaleas, the first thing that comes to mind is colour. Indoors or outdoors? Exuberant or understated? The choice is yours. Whichever variety you choose, with the right care an azalea will bloom for a very long time. Keen to discover more about them? Want to find out how to care for azaleas? Pruning or not? Lots of water or just a little? Find out all about these beauties here.
What is an azalea?
The azalea is a member of the rhododendron family of plants. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors. You can identify an azalea by its elegant, vibrantly-coloured flowers. The azalea japonica brightens up any garden. This garden azalea is a hardy shrub that blooms in spring.
The indoor azalea matches any interior, whether you’ve got a large or small space, a sleek or modern style. We offer a sheer unlimited range of pot sizes and shapes. Just don’t put this plant outdoors, because frost is not its best friend. With one exception: meet Azajoy®. This latest Hortinno variety first flowers intensely indoors, after which it can live for years outside in the garden.
Characteristics of the azalea
- Indoor azaleas add a splash of colour to any interior. They are available in a variety of pot sizes and shapes. Garden azaleas or the azalea japonica varieties are shrubs that make for a beautiful addition to any garden.
- Indoor azaleas are non-hardy and therefore cannot withstand frost. The new Azajoy®, however, is an indoor azalea that is frost-resistant and can be moved outdoors after it has flowered indoors.
- The indoor azalea is an air-purifying plant. The Hortinno Christine does a particularly good job of purifying the air, making it a healthy addition to your office or interior.
- Both indoor and garden azaleas are available in a range of colours. Shades vary from creamy white to pink and from intense purple to deep red. Even combinations of colours are possible.
- The azalea is easy to care for. With the right care, it will easily keep looking its best.
- Indoor azaleas naturally bloom in spring, but in shops they are available from autumn through to May. The azalea japonica always blooms in spring; its prime months are April and May.
- Azalea leaves are green with a characteristic oval shape. Beautifully dark green, glossy leaves are what sets the Hortinno azalea apart.
What makes a Hortinno azalea so exceptional?
- - Extra-long flowering time: 10 to 12 weeks, or flowers for 50 days!
- - Clean and pure plants that shed few withered bracts
- - With their dark green leaves, they are super air-purifying; the Christine and Classic azaleas score particularly highly
Tips & FAQs
How do I remove dead flowers from azaleas
Feel free to cut off the dead flowers. This will allow you to enjoy your azalea for longer.
Overwintering azaleas: what should I do?
An indoor azalea is not frost-resistant. From October, you should move it back indoors – unless you’ve planted a Hortinno Azajoy®, that is.
What should I do with a dehydrated azalea?
Has your azalea become dehydrated? Give it a soak in a revitalising bath of water.
What is the best time to plant my azalea outdoors?
Once your indoor azalea has finished flowering, you can plant it outside any time between May and October. Garden azaleas are best planted out in March.
What is the flowering time & flowering period of an azalea?
Hortinno azaleas flower for 50 days!
Purchasing an azalea: what should I look out for?
Purchase an azalea with evenly-distributed buds.
Which azaleas are suitable for planting outdoors?
All garden azaleas or azalea japonicas can be planted outdoors.
What is the difference between azaleas and rhododendrons?
All azaleas are rhododendrons. They are often a little smaller but bloom more abundantly.
Can I plant an indoor azalea outdoors?
Hortinno’s Azajoy® is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Other indoor azalea varieties are best kept inside during the winter months.