Azalea japonica 'SILVER SWORD'

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.

Sometimes variety names do tell what the plant looks like. Silver Sword is a Japanese azalea with narrow, elliptic leaves that are green in the cetre and almost white at the margins and with a little bit of imagination they may look like tiny swords. Pink flowers are mid-sized and appear in profusion in May. It forms a low, spreading, and compact shrub that needn’t be pruned to maintain a nice shape. We recommend growing it in semi-shade in zones 5 and 6.

Japanese azaleas need light, permeable soil that is acidic, constantly moist (keep azaleas mulched at all times) and moderately fertile. Use fertilizers for rhododendrons and azaleas, or ericaceous plants only. 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 them too deep. This variety is reliably hardy to -23°C (USDA zone 6), or -26°C with majority of leaves fallen.

Last update 15-02-2009