Beautiful Orange Azaleas for a Special Accent Color in Your Landscape
For colors and fragrance, our favorite is orange azalea, AKA flame azaleas, Rhododendron calendulaceum. There are also a number of azalea hybrids like “Exbury” that are popular orange flowering shrubs.
The orange flame azalea flowers are delightfully beautiful, with sweetly fragrant blooms that can last for weeks and are a beautifully contrasting color to the pink azaleas, white and pink dogwoods, yellow daffodils and the red of our red and green Japanese maple and red maple trees.
When Do Orange Flame Azaleas Bloom?
These deciduous shrubs are dazzling beauties that begin to blaze forth, with blooms beginning in early to late spring, depending on your growing zone. In central North Carolina, zone 7a where we are, the orange azaleas bloom in mid April, and last for most of the month.
Adjust upward or downward a week or more depending on your hardiness zone and whether you’re in a cooler or warmer climate.
Evergreen azalea flowers fade rather quickly and aren’t known for their scent. So what these deciduous azaleas lack in winter greenery, they make up for in spring color and aroma. So if you want longer lasting, fragrant beauties, you’ll love these pale to deep orange azalea bushes. We sure love ours!
The lovely orange flame azaleas (Rhododendron calendulaceum), have delightfully fragrant, long lasting blossoms.
Flame Azaleas – Exbury Hybrids
We planted the ‘Exbury’ hybrids , developed in England back in the 1920’s. [1]https://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/azalea-hybrid-4-25-08.aspx
They reside under tall shade trees and do very well next to dogwoods and other large leafed rhododendrons. These azaleas are hardy in Zones 4-9.
Flame Azalea Planting and Care
As with many members of the Heath (Ericae) Family, azaleas are relatively low-growing shrubs with shallow-growing, fibrous roots known as understory plants in the woodland canopy.
The best time to plant azaleas is early spring or fall, before frost. Due to their rooting habits, azaleas can suffer from either lack of moisture or an overabundance of water.
For optimum health and growth, it’s best to plant the root ball slightly above ground level to assure good drainage. Mulching helps to retain moisture during dry spells, and fresh pine mulch is a good choice due to it’s high acidity.
Flame Azalea Growth
- HARDINESS: Zones 4-9
- SOIL: Acidic soil – pH 4.5-6
- HEIGHT: Can grow 15-20 feet tall
- PRUNING: Prune right after blooming
- FERTILIZER: Fertilize right after blooming
- BLOOMING: 2-4 weeks late April-Early May in Zone 7a
What Kind of Soil do Azaleas Need?
Azaleas favor acid soil conditions (pH 4.5-6) rich in organic matter. Think of a leaf covered woodland forest floor, with an under layer of composting organics.
How Tall do Flame Azaleas Grow?
Some flame azaleas, like our Exburys, can grow up to 15-20 feet tall. And while these look a little spindly, they can be pruned toward more bushing out and rounding.
When to Prune Azaleas?
Blooms form on the summer growth so if you prune later in the season, you’ll be removing next year’s blossoms. All azaleas are best pruned right after blooming. The same goes for fertilizing with a properly balanced fertilizer.
We use organic fertilizers even for non-edibles in order to protect the biodynamics of the soil microbes and creatures.
Flame Azaleas Grow in Zones 4-9
Depending on the variety, flame azaleas can be grown in a wide range of zones. In fact, many deciduous azaleas, including flames, can endure more cold than the evergreen varieties. [2]https://extension2.missouri.edu/g6825
Biltmore Estate Azalea Garden
Planted in mass, deciduous azaleas festoon the landscape like fireworks. To experience such a full-on effect, visit the azalea gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville during late April to early May.
Fragrant Flame Azaleas
Another favorite fragrant spring flower is the sturdy and profoundly aromatic sweet box.
Want more on azaleas? Check out our other azalea articles:
- Where and When to Plant Azaleas
- When Do Azaleas Bloom?
- Summer Blooming Azaleas
Wishing you great gardens and happy harvests!
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds, while transforming the land through regenerative permaculture practice. I am also a writer, editor and media publisher (now mostly retired due to replacement by AI), but which now allows more time to build our regenerative permaculture homestead farm.
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