Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 6b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | coral |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 3 feet |
| Spread | 4 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | moist |
| Plant origin | hybrid |
Coral Bells Azalea
Botanical name: Rhododendron ‘Coral Bells’
A coral-pink azalea with stunning double blooms; a very low growing variety with glossy green foliage that turns burgundy in winter; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil, use plenty of peat moss when planting.
Other names: Kirin Azalea, Daybreak Azalea, Pink Beauty
Ornamental Features
Coral Bells Azalea is bathed in stunning clusters of lightly-scented coral-pink trumpet-shaped flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the branches in mid spring before the leaves. It has dark green foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn an outstanding burgundy in the fall. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Coral Bells Azalea is a dense 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, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Coral Bells Azalea is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use
Planting and Growing
Coral Bells Azalea will grow to be about 3 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 full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. 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 leaves 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.
