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ShrubsSynonym

Azalea 'Cherry Drop'

A dwarf, evergreen variety with dense mounds of green leaves turning to bronze in the autumn. Frilled, trumpet-shaped cherry-red flowers are produced in the spring. A useful variety for bonsai

Synonyms

Azalea 'Cherry Drop'

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes
Name status: Accepted
Horticultural Group: Evergreen azaleas are compact evergreen shrubs with small leaves and terminal racemes of small, funnel-shaped, usually unscented flowers in early summer

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in light dappled shade, in a site sheltered from cold, dry winds and late frosts, in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil, preferably between pH4.5 and pH5.5; for more advice, see rhododendron cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by heeled semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, by layering in autumn, or by grafting in late winter or late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds
Banks and slopes

Pruning

Pruning group 1 (little or no pruning of trees and shrubs) or pruning group 8 (early-flowering evergreen shrubs)

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron whiteflies, rhododendron leafhopper, rhododendron lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars, and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to rhododendron powdery mildews, rhododendron bud blast, rhododendron petal blight, honey fungus, fungal leaf spots, rust diseases, silver leaf, Phytophthora root rots, and, if soil is not sufficiently acidic, lime-induced chlorosis; for more advice, see Rhododendron diseases

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