Rhododendron (genus, Exbury hybrids)

Japanese name: エクスバリー アザレア
Scientific name: Rhododendron

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1–2 m tall.
The leaves are simple and alternate.
The flowers open at the same time as the leaves unfold, and several flowers are borne on short racemes at the branch tips.
The flowers are large, funnel-shaped with 5 lobes, and come in a variety of colors including yellow, orange and red.

[History]
This is a group of cultivars improved and bred at Exbury Gardens in England by crossing Renge-tsutsuji with deciduous azaleas from America, Europe and China.

[Cultivation]
Cuttings are possible, although the rooting rate is very poor.
It suits cool regions and prefers fertile, acidic soil that is well drained and retains moisture.
Avoid dry sites, or prevent the base of the plant from drying out by mulching or similar means.
It likes sun, but in warm regions, potted plants are best placed in partial shade out of the afternoon sun and direct summer sunlight from spring to autumn, and in a sunny spot sheltered from cold wind from autumn to spring; plants in the ground are best sited where deciduous trees cast shade.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
Apply fertilizer three times in total, in winter, after flowering as a thank-you fertilizer, and in autumn, using organic fertilizer or a slow-release chemical fertilizer with equal amounts of the three components around the plant.
Do not prune; just rub off buds by early summer after flowering to tidy the shape.
Remove spent flowers frequently.
Pests include spider mites, azalea lace bugs and Eumedonia-type moths (Beni-mon-ao-ringa).

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