Other Names:  Vivid Red Azalea

Group/Class:  Girard Hybrid

Description:

Vivid cherry-red ruffled blooms with crimson spots, cover this compact, vigorous azalea in spring, then sporadically all season; dark green glossy foliage emerges light green-yellow; needs highly acidic and organic soil that is well drained

Ornamental Features

Vivid Azalea is covered in stunning clusters of cherry red trumpet-shaped flowers with crimson spots at the ends of the branches from early to mid spring. It has dark green evergreen foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The small glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Vivid Azalea is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Vivid Azalea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Vivid Azalea will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in a location that gets morning sunlight but is shaded from the hot afternoon sun, although it will also grow in partial shade. Keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.