Azalea deciduous: photo, varieties, cultivation

Deciduous rhododendron belongs to the heather family. A profusely flowering shrub is used in group plantings to decorate the garden. The shrub blooms profusely in early summer. During the flowering period, leaves are not visible behind multiple flowers. Most varieties are compact, dense bushes. Well adapted to the climate in Our Country.

Description of deciduous rhododendron

Deciduous rhododendrons are highly decorative both during flowering and in autumn. The average height of the bush is about 1 m, the growth of most varieties is slow. The flowers are shaped like a bell or bowl. The flowering of the group is early, falls on the end of spring – the beginning of summer.

Varieties of deciduous azalea have a wide range of bright colors of flowers and their combinations. Characteristic are salmon, yellow, orange, beige, red shades.

The flowers are large, collected in inflorescences from 2 to 20 flowers. The leaves of different varieties of deciduous rhododendrons change color from green to yellow, crimson and burgundy during the season.

Types and varieties of deciduous rhododendrons

Deciduous rhododendrons are more hardy, have increased winter hardiness. The varieties of the deciduous group require less care, therefore they are especially suitable for beginners to grow flowering shrubs.

Japanese deciduous rhododendron 

The species is popular due to its high decorativeness, unpretentiousness and winter hardiness. The shrub grows dense, branched, with a height of 140 to 180 cm. The leaves are large. It blooms for a month – in late spring – early summer with the simultaneous appearance of leaves.

Flowers are fragrant, 7-10 pieces are formed in the inflorescence. The diameter of the flower is 6-8 cm. The flowers of the Japanese deciduous rhododendron are salmon with shades of light, orange, red. It grows in partial shade and in the sun, increases by 20-25 cm per year.

Deciduous rhododendrons Lights

Lights rhododendrons belong to the American selection, which has been carried out since the beginning of 1930. The varieties are characterized by increased winter hardiness – up to -40 ° C. Bushes grow up to 1,5 m. Bloom in late spring.

The varieties are decorative in the autumn, changing the color of the foliage to yellow, orange or red. Variety of colors:

• white;
• pink;
• light pink;
• white-yellow;
• salmon.

Rhododendron deciduous Canon Double

Shrub height – 1,2-1,8 m with a wide crown, branches grow vertically. The leaves are dull green, young with slight pubescence, adults are naked, by autumn they become red-burgundy. The flowers are large, double, multi-colored. With overflow of white, yellow, pink, apricot shades.

The flowers are collected in inflorescences of 7-8 pcs. They have a delicate, delicate aroma. Blooms from late May to mid June. Light-loving, tolerates partial shade. Winter hardiness – up to -26 ° С.

Rhododendron deciduous Berry Rose

Shrub with a wide, compact crown, reaches a height of 1,5-2 m. The leaves at the beginning of the growing season have a brown-red color, then turn green. The buds are red-orange, the flowers are 5-7 cm in diameter, pink with a yellow spot. The inflorescence produces 10-14 flowers.

Flowers with a pleasant aroma. Blooms for about 3 weeks, starting in early summer. Likes semi-shade. Frost resistance – up to -25 ° С.

Rhododendron deciduous pink

A deciduous shrub native to North America, the collections of which were obtained in 1980 and 1985. Reaches a height of 3 m. Young shoots with weak pubescence. The leaves are elongated, pointed, 3-7 cm long, gray-green above, densely pubescent below, grayish.

The flowers are fragrant, collected in 5-9 pcs. Stamens with a graceful curve, 2 times longer than the corolla tube. Blooms in May-June. Winter-hardy, but in very cold winters, the tops of annual shoots freeze slightly.

Rhododendron listopadny Blumbuks

Hybrid of German selection. Varieties began to be bred in 2000. The bush forms undersized with a dense, compact crown. The size of the bush reaches 1 m in width and height. With small, narrow leaves, which are almost invisible against the background of blossoming buds.

Flowering in June, for 4 weeks. Flowers with a diameter of 5-6 cm, white-pink with wavy petals. Flowers are bell-shaped or cup-shaped. It adapts well to neutral soil composition. Frost resistance is average – up to -20 ° С.

Rhododendron leafopadny Klondike

One of the best varieties with yellow flowers. Bush in height and width – up to 1,3 m, medium strength of growth. The crown is dense. The flowers are fragrant, funnel-shaped, large. Young leaves are bronze.

The buds are red-orange. Blooms a fiery golden color with a hint of red. Saturation and depth of color is gaining as it grows. Flowering is plentiful, in April-May. Grows in sunny places and in partial shade. Frost resistance – up to -25 ° С.

Rhododendron deciduous Brilliant Red Costers

An ornamental shrub with a spreading crown. Height – up to 1,5 m. The leaves are light green, in autumn they change color to burgundy-red and orange. The flowers are simple with a pleasant aroma, red, red-orange. The top petal has an orange spot.

Blooms from May to June. It grows in open sunny areas, as well as in partial shade. Frost resistant.

Rhododendron deciduous Fireworks

Vertical slow-growing shrub, up to 1,8 m high. The crown is dense. The leaves are shiny, 10 cm long, 4-5 cm wide. The color of the leaves at the beginning of the season is bright green, changing to yellow, orange, red in autumn. Inflorescences are concentrated on the tops of shoots, form 6-12 flowers.

In the photo of the deciduous Fireworks rhododendron, large, fiery red flowers are visible, characteristic of the variety. They open wide, the edges of the petals are slightly turned inside out. They bloom before the appearance of leaves or simultaneously with them. The variety is photophilous, you can grow a crop in some shade. Winter hardiness – up to -25 ° С.

Rhododendron deciduous Gibraltar

One of the bright, beautifully flowering orange deciduous rhododendrons. The bush is sprawling, densely growing, reaches a height and width of 1,5-2 m. With an average growth rate. The leaves are dark green at the beginning of the season. In the future, they become crimson with a transition to orange-yellow.

The flowers are numerous, bright orange, large. Flowers are bell-shaped or cup-shaped. Inflorescences consist of 5-10 flowers. Flowering continues from mid-May to early June. Winter hardiness zone – 5.

Rhododendron deciduous Rosie Lights

Upright shrub with good branching, spreading. Height – up to 1-1,5 m. The leaves are oblong, concave, pointed. When blooming, the leaves have a greenish-yellow hue, turning into burgundy by autumn.

The flowers are large, funnel-shaped with a wave along the edge. The color is bright pink. The inflorescence combines 8 flowers. Very fragrant. A variety with high frost resistance.

Rhododendron deciduous Mandarin Lights

A variety bred in the USA in 1990. An upright shrub, fast growing, with a rounded crown, up to 1,8 m high. The leaves are elliptical, pointed, flat, moderate olive green.

Blooms from late May to late June. The flowers are narrow, funnel-shaped, collected in spherical inflorescences of 7-10 pcs. The shade of the petals is red-orange with a dark vein, the edges are wavy. Flowering is plentiful. Frost resistance – up to -36 ° С.

Deciduous rhododendron in landscape design

Deciduous rhododendrons like to grow in group plantings of 3 or more plants. This feature can be used to create decorative corners, combining different varieties of culture. Groups are placed near walls, paths and on free lawns. When planting, it is important to consider the height of mature plants by combining size groups.

Rhododendrons feel great near water, so they can decorate artificial ponds and fountains. Shrubs go well with bulbous crops. Ferns and hostas are planted nearby.

According to the exactingness of the soil, azaleas are planted with plants of the heather family, as well as various coniferous trees and shrubs. The compositions are complemented by large stones.

Features of growing deciduous rhododendrons in the suburbs

Varieties of deciduous rhododendron can be safely bought for cultivation in central Our Country. The care and cultivation of deciduous azalea in the Moscow region is not particularly difficult. Young shrubs are preferably planted in spring. But seedlings in a container with a closed root system can be transplanted throughout the warm period.

Planting and caring for deciduous rhododendron

Rhododendron is a garden long-liver and can grow in a permanent place for about 30 years. Therefore, to start planting and caring for deciduous azalea, it is necessary to choose a suitable place, given the growth of the shrub and its size in adult form.

In the first 2 years, shrubs are characterized by slow growth. The culture does not like to grow in a single planting, it is preferable to group shrubs with similar species. But do not plant it close to trees that have the same superficial root system.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

For the cultivation of rhododendron, completely open places, sunshine, where plants can burn out, are not suitable. A moderate shade should be created on the site for deciduous shrubs. This is done at the expense of buildings or neighboring trees. In the place of cultivation, it is necessary to create wind protection.

The plot for growing rhododendron should not be flooded in the spring and during the rains. For growth, the culture needs soil with an acidic reaction, loose, with good air permeability. Therefore, when planting a rhododendron for the first time, a suitable soil for planting is created anew.

Seedling preparation

A rhododendron seedling can grow in a container for several years. When planting, the roots that have been in contact with the walls of the container for a long time die off and create an impenetrable layer for living roots. The plant in this case will not be able to develop. Therefore, when excavating an earthen clod, the roots are inspected, the dead ones are carefully cut off.

Also, for better growth of healthy roots, several cuts are made across the coma. The roots are straightened, but the earth is not completely removed. With a good condition of the root system, the plant is planted with a fully preserved earthen clod.

Rules for planting a rhododendron of November

The root system of rhododendron is fibrous, grows in width. Therefore, a large-sized pit is prepared for planting, several times wider than the size of the seedling. The pit is filled with an acidic substrate. To do this, components that give an acidic reaction are added to the garden soil taken out of the pit: red high-moor peat, pine litter.

For loosening, add sand if necessary. The components are thoroughly mixed. A ready-made substrate for rhododendron can also be purchased commercially.

When planting in the soil mixture, you can add superphosphate or a complex of mineral fertilizers. At the bottom of the landing pit, about 20 cm of a drainage layer is poured, for example, from expanded clay. The pit is covered with a prepared acidic substrate, the seedling is lowered.

An important rule for planting rhododendron is that the root neck of the plant is not deepened, leaving it 2 cm above the soil level. If you neglect this rule, the plant will stop blooming and eventually die.

During planting, the soil is lightly pressed to fill the voids. A small earthen roller is formed around the planting, the seedling is watered abundantly. After a few weeks, the soil around the bush is leveled.

The root system of the rhododendron is superficial, therefore, when caring for plants, loosening and digging of the soil are not used. The soil around the shrubs must be mulched with pine bark or needles. Mulch is added several times a season. Do not use manure, black soil and lowland peat for the protective layer.

Transplantation of deciduous rhododendrons

Deciduous rhododendrons are good at moving. Transplantation is most often required when the condition of the shrub is unsatisfactory at the previously selected location. It is more favorable to transplant plants in early spring or late autumn, but not during the flowering period.

Dig the bush carefully, given that the root system spreads more in width than in depth and is close to the surface of the soil. The bush is taken out together with an earthen clod and transported to a pre-prepared landing pit.

At a new planting site, it is recommended to maintain orientation to the cardinal points, in which the shrub grew earlier. After transplantation, the plant is watered, shaded for several days.

Watering and top dressing

During the cultivation of deciduous rhododendron, it is important to monitor soil moisture. The soil under the plants should not dry out, but should always remain moderately moist. The shrub responds well to light sprinkling with warm water. Spraying is especially useful in cloudy weather. Do not water rhododendrons with tap and cold water from a hose.

Top dressing is carried out several times per season, using fast-dissolving specialized fertilizers with an acidic reaction.

Heather compost is used to feed deciduous rhododendron. Which include:

• heather earth – the top layer of pine forest litter;
• coniferous litter (needles, branches, bark, cones);
• parts of old stumps;
• moss;
• high-moor peat – red.

The components are placed in a compost bin, where they decompose to a homogeneous loose mass over several years. The mixture is poured under the bushes in small portions several times during the growing season.

To maintain the acidic reaction of the soil, once every 1 days it is watered with water with the addition of special preparations based on lactic acid bacteria or citric acid is used. To deoxidize the soil, a handful of colloidal sulfur is scattered under the bushes once every few years.

Pruning deciduous rhododendrons

Deciduous rhododendrons independently form a compact crown, so its pruning is carried out only if necessary 1 time in 3-5 years. The procedure is carried out on dormant buds, frozen and dry shoots are removed in the spring. Sections of thick stems are treated with disinfectants.

The leaves on the shrub appear along with the flowers and continue to grow after flowering. To preserve the decorative effect, faded flower stalks are twisted or carefully cut off so as not to damage the buds from which new leaves appear.

Preparing deciduous rhododendrons for winter

The group of deciduous rhododendrons is characterized by increased winter hardiness. Mature plants do not need shelter. Protect only recently planted young plants.

The terms of shelter of deciduous rhododendron, depending on the region of cultivation, come when constant, negative temperatures are established from -10 ° C. An earlier shelter can harm the root neck of the plant, which will begin to rot, especially with a sharp change in temperature or a prolonged thaw.

The root neck is spudded for the winter, pouring rotted sawdust or pine bark. The layer of mulch, depending on the size of the bush, is from 5 to 20 cm.

For an air-dry shelter, a frame is constructed from boards or arcs and covered with spunbond. The shelter should be free and not located close to the branches. A gap is left at the bottom of the structure for the passage of air. A plastic film, especially of a dark color, is not used so as not to provoke overheating and rotting of the bush.

In the spring, the shelter is removed after the soil warms up or the soil is warmed up with warm water, the mulch layer is raked off. Otherwise, with warm air, but cold ground, the roots will not be able to supply moisture to the leaves, which will lead to the drying out of the shrub.

Reproduction of deciduous rhododendron

Deciduous rhododendrons are propagated by seeds and cuttings. Seeds are germinated in a wet sand-peat mixture at a temperature of +12 … +15°C. Flowering from such seedlings occurs at 5-6 years of cultivation.

Cuttings from an adult plant are taken in mid-summer. The cutting should be 7-9 cm long with several leaves. Root cuttings in a wet mixture of sand and peat. In the southern regions, rooted cuttings are planted in the ground under a dry shelter. In colder areas, seedlings are left in a cool room for the winter.

Pests and diseases of deciduous rhododendrons

Rhododendron is especially prone to fungal diseases, which can be caused by an unsuitable growing place, pest infestation. The plant is affected by rust, various leaf spots. For prevention, the bushes are sprayed with preparations containing copper in their composition.

Rhododendron can be damaged by various pests:

• mealybug;
• scab;
• spider mite;
• bedbugs;
• weevils;
• rhododendra fly;
• slugs and snails.

The shrub needs to be inspected periodically. To get rid of insects, insecticides and acaricides of a wide spectrum of action are used, for example, Karbofos.

Conclusion

Rhododendron deciduous is a perennial shrub that does not lose its decorative effect throughout the warm season. Forms compact, dense bushes. Foliage changes color in autumn. During the flowering period, numerous inflorescences are painted in the brightest shades, have a fragrant aroma. In addition, deciduous rhododendrons are winter-hardy.