Bloom-A-Thon® Red Azalea
$77
Rhododendron 'RLH1-1P2' USPP 21,562
Endless bloom in the shade? When faced with a semi-shady area to plant and you want colorful bloom, a first thought may be azalea. A tried-and-true staple, the azalea provides great color but usually only for a short time. To remedy this, Proven Winners set out to create an azalea that exhibits an extended bloom time, along with greater cold and sun tolerance. They hit the mark in 2012 with the introduction of the Bloom-A-Thon Azalea. As the name suggests, this azalea offers a marathon of color, blooming first in spring and then again in mid-summer through frost (that’s like 12 weeks!). It displays some sun tolerance and has shown cold tolerance to zone 6, making it hardier than the Encore. In addition to the extended bloom time, Bloom-A-Thon has good disease resistance and saturated flower color on large blooms.
Bloom-A-Thon Red Azalea is one of the smaller Bloom-A-Thons at maturity, topping out between 3-4 feet, making it excellent for around a shady foundation. Blooms are held on terminal clusters of three to four blooms surrounded by light green foliage.
All Bloom-A-Thon Azaleas are semi-evergreen and lose their inner leaves in winter. Consider interplanting with Cinnamon Girl Distylium or Hoogendorn Holly to provide structure during winter months. For best rebloom, give the shrub an overall light trim after the first bloom is finished. When planting, apply 2-3 inches of mulch for best results.