Azalea japonica 'PINK POETRY'^®

Japanese azaleas are very popular features of our gardens. In their home climate they grow to relatively substantial shrubs, as opposed to limited sizes in our continental, dry climate. They are very floriferous, maintenance-free shrubs that usually bloom from mid to late spring.

Pink Poetry^® is simply charming. It is an evergreen Japanese azalea discovered by Manfred Mann in his nursery in German nursery town Westerstede as a mutation of Gislinde variety with deep pink flowers. It is one of the few unique varieties with bi-coloured flowers. They are soft pink, margined white, and decorated with a profusion of ruby red dots and a few dwarf sepals in the centre. It is a late variety blooming in second half of May for about 2-3 weeks.

Leaves are 2-3 cm long, elliptic, deep green, glossy, and turn bronze in winter. They are reliably evergreen and in full bloom they are completely covered by the flowers. The plant grows slowly into a small shrub with slightly tiered branches. It is very hardy.

Japanese azaleas can be clipped to shapes in early June. If so, do not use fertilizers enhancing growth rate. The size of new branches would get out hand and spoil the shape you are going to achieve. They need light, permeable soil that is acid, constantly moist (keep azaleas always mulched) and moderately fertile. Use fertilizers for rhododendrons and azaleas, or ericaceous plants. The best soil mix is 1/3 of peat, 1/3 of leaf-mould or lime-free compost, and 1/3 of soil from the hole where you are going to plant it. Azaleas have shallow roots, so do not plant not too deep. Hardy to about -27 °C (USDA zone 5b).

Last update 10-06-2022