Deciduous Exbury Azalea Orchid Lights - Very Hardy - 2x3" Pot
The Azalea Orchid Lights, Azalea 'Orchid Lights', is a selection from a cross between Rhododendron canadense and R. XKosteranum made by the late Albert G. Johnson. The orchid-colored flowers are 1 1/2 inches across, and they bloom in mid-May. The flower shape of Orchid Lights is unusual; it is intermediate between the flower shapes of two parents. It is one of the renowned Northern Lights series of very cold-hardy Azaleas bred in Minnesota. It was designed in order to bring this glorious warm-climate shrub all the way through zone 4. This plant needs excellent drainage, mulching and a peat moss soil additive. Roots will rot in poorly drained soil, and it does not do well in windy sites. Plant in acid soil in filtered sunlight or light shade, although plants tolerate full sun in cool-summer areas. Mulch Orchid Lights well and avoid disturbing its roots (which remain very near the surface), fertilize twice a year with an acidic mixture, and water well throughout the growth period. Never prune after mid-summer because those branches produce the next season's flowers.