A Guide to Azaleas

Azaleas are one of the most popular flowering evergreen shrubs in South Carolina! Although, if you didn’t grow up in the area, it may be a bit tricky to tell which azaleas will get very big, which ones will stay small, which ones bloom in the spring, and which ones bloom 3+ times a year. Don’t worry, we’re here to help with all things azalea! Here are the two types of azaleas that thrive in our area and how to tell which is best for your garden:

Formosa Azalea:

• Can reach heights of 8-10 ft tall and 8-10 ft wide
• Blooms once a year in the spring 
• Thrives on about 4 hours of sun a day and well drained soil

Encore Azalea:

• Grows up to about 3-4 ft in height and in width 
• Starts blooming in the spring and produces 3-4 new blooming periods up until the first frost of the year
• Thrives on about 4 hours of sun a day and well drained soil