Rhododendron japonicum seed

LATIN NAME: RHODODENDRON JAPONICUM

COMMON NAME: Japanese Azalea

In the moist woodlands and the garden shrubberies of the cool-temperate regions, the Japanese azalea grows as a compact, rounded, deciduous shrub with the soft, hairy, oval leaves and the clusters of wide, funnel-shaped flowers in clear rosy-orange and salmon tones that open through the late spring, before or with the new leaves. In time it steadily becomes a rounded crown, reaching 5-10 metres. Site it in full sun, in acidic, leafy ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Japanese azalea holds a steady place in the studies of the deciduous azaleas of the east Asian hills, its clear, warm colours and its hardy, compact habit keeping it in view in the work on the azalea breeding and the acid-soil shrubberies of the temperate garden. The research follows the way the funnel flowers open in their short season, the small capsules ripen and split, and the seed biology of the fine, dust-like seeds.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the spring shrubbery, the Japanese azalea pours the rosy-orange clusters over the soft leaves and brings the colour of the mountain woodlands to the acid border. The flowers feed the early bees, the dense twiggy growth gives the shelter, and the shrub makes the fine specimen, the woodland-garden plant and the container shrub. It is an azalea for the cool, moist, sheltered and acid corner of the garden.

To grow the Japanese Azalea from seed, sow the fine seeds on the surface of a tray of moist, leafy compost.

Sow the fine seeds on the surface of a tray of moist, leafy compost, and keep the young azaleas in the sheltered, shaded spot. The rosy-orange flowers open with the late spring.

LATIN NAME: Rhododendron japonicum

COMMON NAME: Japanese Azalea, Japanese Rhododendron

The Japanese azalea is a bright and cheerful shrub of the Japanese grasslands, and its orange-red bloom is a blaze of colour in late spring. In good conditions it grows a dense, bushy clump, staying under a metre. The plant becomes a multi-stemmed clump, to about sixty centimetres.

The Japanese azalea belongs to the heather family, Ericaceae, and it is native to Japan, where it grows in grasslands and open scrub, never in dense thickets or woodlands. It is a deciduous shrub that is closely related to the azaleas of China and the garden azaleas of the world, and its tough, sun-loving character sets it apart from the shade-loving evergreens of the same family, making it one of the easiest azaleas for an open, sunny spot.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Japanese azalea has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and horticultural research. As a native of the Japanese grasslands, it has been studied in ecology and in research on the azaleas, and botanists have examined its relationships with the other Asian azaleas, including the very similar Chinese species, which has made it of interest in the study of the genus Rhododendron and its classification. The shrub has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a handsome and tough garden plant, valued for its bright orange-red bloom and its tolerance of sun and open ground, and it has contributed to the breeding of garden azaleas, which are among the most beloved flowering shrubs of the temperate garden. For a shrub of such bright beauty, the Japanese azalea has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the Japanese azalea is a generous shrub of the grassland. Its orange-red flowers feed bees and other pollinators in late spring, and its leafy growth gives shelter for insects and small animals in the open ground where it grows.

Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is a handsome garden shrub, prized for its bright bloom and its toughness, and it has contributed to the breeding of garden azaleas, which are grown around the world for their spectacular spring display. For a grower, the Japanese azalea is a rewarding and dependable shrub, and for a gardener it brings a blaze of orange-red in late spring. The seed is fine and easy to start — sow it on the surface of moist, lime-free compost in spring, keep it lightly watered in a bright, cool spot, and the tiny seedlings will appear within a few weeks, growing on slowly into shrubs that will reward you with their warm spring glow.