The Best Azaleas for Shade

Shade keeps azalea blooms bright.azalea flower image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com

Azaleas are available in a rainbow of colors and a variety of sizes, with heights of up to 15 feet. Shade protects the light-colored blooms from the bleaching effects of the sun. Azaleas need protection from the wind to avoid leaf scorch and to keep the bark on the stems from splitting. The right site and proper care of azalea bushes will keep their brightly colored blossoms coming back year after year.

Early Azalea

Early azaleas can tolerate high levels of acid in the soil, unlike other types of azaleas that need low to medium acidity. It's a shade-loving plant, able to thrive in partial or full shade. Like most azaleas, it thrives in moist soil and needs to be watered regularly. Early azalea bushes, also called roseshell or wooly azaleas, can reach heights of 6 to 12 feet and just as wide. The multiple stems are covered with blue-green, deciduous foliage that turns a purplish color in the fall. The tips of the stems bloom with clusters of funnel-shaped, purplish or light-pink, clove-scented flowers in May and June. Protruding from the center of the flowers are long, slightly curved, rose to light-pink stamens.

The Texas azalea is a small shrub reaching a height of up to 5 feet with a spread of 3 feet or more. The slightly fragrant, pure white flowers bloom in small bunches of seven to 12 in the spring and summer. It's often found growing in shady areas near streams and light, sandy soil. Texas azaleas thrive in moist soil and need to be watered regularly. The dense, medium-green, deciduous foliage can obscure the blooming flowers. This Texas native is heat tolerant, helping it to survive the long, hot summers.

Piedmont azaleas, also called pinxter, are deciduous, mutli-stemmed shrub that reproduce by underground runners. They prefers rich, moist soil in partial to full shade. Piedmont azaleas are 6 to 15 feet tall and wide and bloom in early spring with clusters of lightly fragrant, tubular, pink flowers. They measure 2 to 3 inches long with five narrow petals and five brown-tipped, arching stamens extending beyond the flower petals. It needs frequent watering during times of drought.

The Florida flame azalea brightens the landscape in early spring with its clusters of trumpet-shaped, gold flowers that have a peach or red tint at the base. The honeysuckle-like fragrant blooms are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Flame azaleas are 6 to 8 feet tall and 2 feet wide covered with medium-green, fuzzy foliage. This azalea shrub needs soil that is kept moist until it's established and becomes drought resistant.