Native "Flame" Azaleas
Marc
deciduous - that I've tried to propagate with absolutely no success. On
other azaleas I take about a 3-4" cutting of the end of a stem snip of the
new growth leaving just a little , some rooting hormone, into a 4" pot then
into a ! gallon zip lock page and wait for new growth. I've tried this over
and over on these other azalea and nothing. Suggestions?
Marc
B. Nolan McCoy
Michael Strickland
Here's the most reliable method I've found for native azaleas. In early
spring, pull a branch down to soil level and cover a section with soil,
placing a rock on top of the soil to insure that it stays buried. Some
recommend scraping the bark on the lower side where it's going to be
buried, or slitting the branch at that point and using rooting hormone
on the scraped/cut area. I haven't done that, just bury them. Leave all
summer and cut from the main plant in fall after the leaves drop.
Transplant it to it's permanent location at that time.
You can pull down a branch at any season, but spring gives you a new
plant in the fall when it's best to transplant shrubs.
BTW, if you're interested in native azaleas (the flame azalea is one
found in our area) and/or native plants in general, you can rescue them
from areas due to be cleared for construction if you join the Georgia
Native Plant Society for $15/year - less than you'll pay for a couple
of native azaleas at the nursery. Go to http://www.gnps.org/ for more
information about the organization and membership.
Later, Mike
USDA Zone 7, Sunset Zone 32 AHS HZ7 (Villa Rica, GA)
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m.stri...@att.net
marvin
mountain from them in East Tenn and got some from them about 8 years ago,
and they are still doing great.
Marvin
Stephen M. Henning
Marc
You have discovered one of the big difference between deciduous azaleas
and evergreen azaleas.
R. calendulaceum, the flame azalea, is one of the most brightly colored
of native North American deciduous azaleas, bearing large clusters of
2-inch flowers in early summer. Plants usually grow 4 to 9 feet tall in
Zones 5-8, hardy to -10° F, and occasionally reach 15 feet. It bears
clusters of 2-inch clove-scented bright scarlet, orange or yellow
flowers in late spring or early summer flowers that are long lasting,
even in full sun. The leaves are 3 inches long and drop in the fall.
Deciduous rhododendron are propagated by seed, grafting or cutting.
Deciduous azaleas are very tricky to propagate from cuttings. Tissue
culture is used to propagate varieties that are difficult to root. It is
a laboratory technique that is very successful.
Take cuttings of deciduous azaleas when the new growth is soft and
pliant. This is often coincident with time of bloom in early June. The
ability to root decreases rapidly as new growth matures. Select cuttings
daily for best results. Trim cuttings below a node (overall length of
cuttings 3 to 5 inches) and dip in a root hormone containing fungicide.
Insert in a medium of 60% peat moss and 40% horticultural perlite.
Usually bottom warmth of 75°F is used to encourage root growth. In late
August, transplant cuttings that are rooted and grow on in the
greenhouse with supplementary light (14-hours a day) to prevent dormancy
and induce new growth. In the fall after new growth has matured,
transfer to a cool, frost-free cool (35°F to 41°F) environment to induce
dormancy. As new growth develops in the spring, transfer plants to a
shaded environment. [after "Rhododendrons and Azaleas" by J. Lounsbery,
Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario, Canada]
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