Azalea
Azaleas (.
Cultivation
Plant enthusiasts have selectively bred azaleas for hundreds of years. This human selection has produced over 10,000 different cultivars which are propagated by cuttings.[citation needed] Azalea seeds can also be collected and germinated.
Azaleas are generally slow-growing and do best in well-drained acidic soil (4.5–6.0 pH).[2] Fertilizer needs are low. Some species need regular pruning.
Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe and North America. They are planted abundantly as ornamentals in the southeastern US, southern Asia, and parts of southwest Europe.[citation needed]
According to azalea historian Fred Galle, in the United States, Azalea indica (in this case, the group of plants called Southern indicas) was first introduced to the outdoor landscape in the 1830s at the rice plantation
Classification
Native American azaleas
Disease
Azalea leafy gall can be particularly destructive to azalea leaves during the early spring. Hand picking infected leaves is the recommended method of control.[3]
They can also be subject to Phytophthora root rot in moist, hot conditions.[4]
Azaleas share the economically important disease Phytophthora cinnamomi with more than 3000 other plants.[5]: 199
Pests
Azaleas share the Azalea lace bug (
Cultural significance and symbolism
In Chinese culture, the azalea is known as "thinking of home bush" (sixiang shu), and is immortalized in the poetry of Du Fu.
The azalea is also one of the symbols of the city of São Paulo, Brazil.[7]
Azaleas and rhododendrons were once so infamous for their toxicity that to receive a bouquet of their flowers in a black vase was a well-known death threat.[8]
Toxicity
In addition to being renowned for its beauty, the azalea is also highly toxic—it contains
Azalea festivals
Japan
Motoyama, Kōchi has a flower festival in which the blooming of Tsutsuji is celebrated. Tatebayashi, Gunma is famous for its Azalea Hill Park, Tsutsuji-ga-oka.
Korea
Hong Kong
The Ma On Shan Azalea Festival is held in Ma On Shan, where six native species (Rhododendron championae, Rhododendron farrerae, Rhododendron hongkongense, Rhododendron moulmainense, Rhododendron simiarum and Rhododendron simsii [12]) are found in the area. The festival has been held since 2004; it includes activities such as exhibitions, photo contests and carnivals.[13]
United States
Many cities in the United States have festivals in the spring celebrating the blooms of the azalea, including Summerville, South Carolina; Hamilton, New Jersey; Mobile, Alabama; Jasper, Texas; Tyler, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia;[14] Wilmington, North Carolina (North Carolina Azalea Festival);[15] Valdosta, Georgia;[16] Palatka, Florida (Florida Azalea Festival);[17] Pickens, South Carolina;[18] Muskogee, Oklahoma; Brookings, Oregon; and Nixa, Missouri.
The Azalea Trail is a designated path, planted with azaleas in private gardens, through
The Azalea Society of America designated Houston, Texas, an "azalea city".[citation needed] The River Oaks Garden Club has conducted the Houston Azalea Trail every spring since 1935.[citation needed]
Valdosta, Georgia is called the Azalea City, as the plant grows in profusion there. The city hosts an annual Azalea Festival in March.
See also
References
- OCLC 52514287.
- ^ "Home & Garden Information Center - Clemson Cooperative Extension - Clemson University, South Carolina". www.clemson.edu. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ISBN 978-93-86237-79-8.
- ^ Benson, D.M. "Azalea Diseases in the Landscape". Plant pathology extension NCSU. North Carolina State University. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-78064-093-8.
- ^ S2CID 233789992.
- ^ Municipal law of the city of São Paulo nr. 14472 of 2007.
- ^ "Stopping to Smell the Rhododendron | Natural Selections". selections.rockefeller.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- ^ "University of Pennsylvania's Poisonous Plants Home Page". Archived from the original on 2012-03-17.
- ^ "The Strange History of 'Mad Honey' - Modern Farmer". modernfarmer.com. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Department of Culture & Tourism, Danyang-gun County Office
- ^ "Native Azaleas in Hong Kong" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
- ^ "Ma On Shan Azalea".
- ^ Norfolk NATO Azalea Festival Website
- ^ "North Carolina Azalea Festival - A Scene to be Seen!". North Carolina Azalea Festival. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Valdosta, Georgia, Azalea Festival Website
- ^ "FLAZALEAFEST.COM". www.flazaleafest.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Pickens Azalea Festival". www.pickensazaleafestival.com. Retrieved 16 Apr 2023.
- ^ "City of Mobile, Azalea Trail Maps".
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .
- American Rhododendron Society: What is an Azalea?