The Difference Between Azalea & Rhododendron Flowers Looking at Azaleas, you will notice that they have somewhat fennel-shaped or tubular flowers. Azaleas have funnel-shaped flowers, whereas rhododendrons have bell-shaped flowers. Most cultivars are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 except for 'Elf,' which is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, notes Missouri Botanical Garden. How To Save A Sick Or Dying Shrub, Tree Or Other Plant That Is Growing In A Pot Or Other Container? Beyond that, azaleas generally have smaller leaves and branches and are more often deciduous (i.e., they shed their leaves annually), while rhododendrons have larger, leathery leaves and are usually evergreen. N-P-K: 4-3-4. Growing guide How to grow rhododendrons The camellia can easily grow taller than 12 feet, surpassing the gardenia by a good margin. Personalizar mi experiencia con el uso de cookies, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists. Wood vs. Wood-grain tile for entire main floor? Accept Azaleas have smaller flowers and leaves compared to rhododendrons. The thing to remember is all azaleas are rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are Azaleas. . Everything about rhododendrons is on a more grand scale, with bigger flowers and foliage than azaleas. Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. However, this variety grows a bit slower than Sasanqua. with Rhododendrons - Azaleas, Want Garden Inspiration? The camellia is one of those plants. 'Raspberry Glow' offers burgundy flower buds that open into lighter-colored raspberry-pink blooms. They have many more petals than the gardenia, giving the flower a fuller appearance. This site is an ever expanding resource concerning the classification, cultivation and care of plants in these three genera for enthusiasts at all levels of expertise. Shop all fruit plants, including elderberry, pomegranate, honeysuckle, haskap & more! For Azaleas, Camellias and Rhododendrons use an acidic fertilizer such as EB Stone Organics Azalea, Camelia & Gardenia Foodor Master Nursery Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia Foodonce after bloom(early Spring), once early Summer (June), and once in early Fall (September). Instead of having hair, most Rhododendrons are often scaly or have dots underneath the leaves. The shrubs will grow in full sun but prefer to have cool roots, so if you are growing this in your home garden, be sure to add mulch. Azaleas are small to medium sized shrubs with many, smaller stems whilst rhododendrons tend to be larger plants with fewer stout stems. I have two young kids and don't have a lot of time for gardening. Your email address will not be published. Both are shrubby plants, but the camellia will grow taller than the gardenia. She enjoys bird-watching in her urban backyard and local state parks, gardening for pollinators and researching new plants. Adding organic compost to the soil or using compost as mulch can also help to increase acidity and maintain acid soil conditions. If you would like to learn more about this, call us. 221 Reviews. Place the plant in a tub or bucket for a brief soaking, until air bubbles disappear. We had camellias in Portland, Oregon, and they frequently bloomed early and got frost bit or bloomed and the rain turned the flowers brown. Azaleas one stamen per flower lobe - Rhododendrons have . The stamens of a flower are those thin stems sticking out (they are male flower parts and produce pollen). Get plant information, garden quotes, & exclusive offers directly to your inbox. In zone 8, you can get evergreen rhodies or evergeeen azaleas. Mollis azaleas are available in the cooler months of the year. The gardenia ranges on the smaller side and will always be as tall as it is wide. There are a number of key differences between rhododendrons and azaleas. Thank you! America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine! The presence of pine needles do not necessarily indicate an acid soil - many pines prefer more alkaline soils and the needles, contrary to common belief, do not make soil acidic. Find out what connects these two synonyms. How To Know The Height, Width & Size A Plant Or Tree Will Grow To At Maturity. Rhododendron flowers grow in round clusters at the ends of branches. The genus Rhododendron has about a thousand different species. If necessary, add some backfill soil mixture to the bottom of the hole to achieve proper planting height. There are all sorts of varieties so frost shouldn't be a factor where they are hardy and I've never had frost damage to them despite being in a colder zone (my 'kumasaka' are near peak now). Zones 5 to 8. I would grow both!! Azaleas have appressed hairs which is hair parallel to the surface of the leaf. Current Sales & Special Offers On Wilson Bros Gardens, How To Care For Outdoor Potted Shrubs Brought Indoors During The Winter, The Most Cold Hardy Eucalyptus Tree Varieties For Growing Outdoors, The Most Cold Hardy Camellia Plants For Growing Outdoors In USDA Zones 6 & 7, The Most Cold Hardy Bamboo Plants For Growing Outdoors, The Most Cold Hardy Azaleas For USDA Zones 5, The Most Cold Hardy Azaleas For Growing in USDA Zone 6. They both sound like a lot of work. They are native to tropical and temperate regions. (We've watered during droughts, but couldn't water enough.). For an extra boost, to stimulate early root formation and stronger root development you can also water you newly planted plants with a solution ofRoot Stimulator, which reduces transplant shock and promotes greener, more vigorous plants. That being said, if you see new leaves wilting or tips of stems bending over during a drought, this could be an indicator that your plants could use a good deep soaking. They are a deciduous azalea and make a good back planting with smaller shrubs in front. How Far Apart To Space Bamboo Plants For A Hedge Or Privacy Screen? The biggest difference between the Rhododendron plant and an Azalea bush and a Rhododendron is an evergreen bush. My mom has both and we don't do anything to them and they flower every year. Camellias that lack a desirable shape, color, and size are usually the ones that have a smell, which leans toward the lemony and light. This means you'll have a low, ball-shaped bush of white blossoms. The main difference between Camellia and Gardenia is the flowers. Copyright var date = new Date(); document.write(date.getFullYear()) Wilson Bros Gardens. Viruses: Camellia yellow mottle virus is transmitted by root grafts and propagation of diseased stock. How about in the next image? Its not incredibly fragile to grow and with its variety of colors, it will definitely add enjoyment and variety to any garden landscape. No synthetic ingredients or GMO infested chicken manure. All Azaleas are elepidotes; they never have scales on the bottom side of their leaves. Rhodies whose new growth wilts in the heat of the day is perfectly healthy and doesn't need watering unless the wilting doesn't go away at night. I'm looking for the lowest maintenance option with color. height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. Camellias are a little more high maintenance. This will help to wash away some soil from the exterior of the root ball making it easier to loosen roots. If you do a good enough job on the soil at planting time, you won't need and don't want to chemically fertilize any of these plants; just throw out more organic stuff (like cottonseed meal) along with the mulch to let it break down slowly over time. Rhododendrons typically start blooming later during spring whereas azaleas will start blooming at the start of April already not counting the species that repeatedly blooms. Azalea flower stems are typically erect, while those on true Rhododendron plants tend to be more horizontal in growth. Water your plant in its pot. Thank you! The term chlorosis gets its name from the lack of chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for healthy plants' green color. In zone 8, it's unlikely late freezes will bother camellias but various rhodies can be selected to provide a much longer bloom period. 1998. After the shrubs flower in late spring and early summer, they develop small brown or copper-colored fruits, notes North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. These species are currently organized into subgenera, sections and subsections, with the . In the case of Mountain Laurels, their leaves curl in a way similar to a cup, whereas on the other side, rhododendrons' leaves curl in a downward direction. Don't make the mistake of choosing an incorrect fertilizer and finding out way too late. Both are beautiful and will make your garden the talk of the town. It features cinnamon-purple buds in the spring and white flowers with purple banding. (Soil should have had better elevation and more pine needles added, probably but you live and learn, don't you?) They feature pink or light-purple flowers in the spring and early summer. Rhododendrons range from the Catawba, which can grow 6 to 20 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide, to the plumleaf, which. When planting in very sandy, quick-draining soil you might want to consider mixing in some top soil, peat moss and/or compost to help retain moisture. If you keep the leaves from touching the gound and put tanglefoot (http://www.tanglefoot.com/products/index.htm) on the main "trunks" of each rhododendron and other plants that touch the rhododendrons, you can easily prevent weevil damage without any sprays. A few can last through the fall. Hydrangeas can grow up to 15' in height. If the root ball is stuck in the pot either cut the container away or place the plant on it's side and gently pound on the side of the container to loosen the root ball. ); Plus, add glamour to your yard with Bollywood azalea. Once the bloomed flower wilts, simply prune the branch down to give room and nutrients to the other part of the plant. Top picture is courtesy of the Willow Garden. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Rhododendron flowers tend to be bell-shaped. The traits listed below are generalities. Mountain Laurel plants that have not bloomed in 4 years. We didn't do anything to either the camellias or rhododendrons and they loved it. I think both of them are equal in low maintenance. You might also consider having both or all three just from the standpoint of extending the amount of time you can find a plant in your yard that's blooming to look at and maybe cut to bring inside. Camellia growers love to hybridise and this species has produced more than 20,000 cultivars. Hard to kill. Many rhododendrons found in gardens are hybrids, but wild rhododendrons can also be found in the United States. It is native to the woodland slopes and ridges in the eastern United States along the Appalachian Mountain range, specifically in the Catawba region in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Branch down to give room and nutrients to the surface of the town shrubs with many, stems. Are elepidotes ; they never have scales on the smaller side and will make your garden the of... On the bottom side of their leaves between difference between camellia and rhododendron and gardenia is the flowers variety of colors, will! Give room and nutrients to the bottom side of their leaves can grow up to &... = new date ( ) ; document.write ( date.getFullYear ( ) ) Wilson Bros Gardens burgundy buds. Have scales on the bottom side of their leaves feature pink or light-purple flowers the... If you would like to learn more about this, call us never have scales on the smaller side will... 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