<em>Azara</em>: planting, pruning and care

Description and botany

Azaras belong to family Salicaceae (like willows and poplars) and are native to rainforests of Argentina and Chile. There are about ten species in the genus, of which the four main are: Azara dentata with small dentate leaves and flowering combining scents of vanilla, honey and linden, Azara lanceolata with lanceolate leaves, Azara microphylla, the hardiest of the genus, with very small ovate leaves and a powerful vanilla scent, and Azara serrata with dentate leaves.

They are small trees or large bushes with an erect, fountain-like habit slightly spreading, with flexible branches trailing under weight of flowers. Bark is light brown with even paler lenticels.

Foliage consists of alternate, simple and petiolate leaves. Leaves are stipulate and have dentate to serrulate margins (slightly dentate). This foliage is evergreen or semi-evergreen depending on climate.

Flowers are yellow and hermaphrodite. Each has 4 to 5 villous tepals and a large number of yellow stamens. They are grouped in small mustard-yellow glomerules. These funny little yellow pom-poms are gathered in corymbs 3 to 4 cm in diameter, arranged in leaf axils.

Fruits are globular berries often pink containing numerous seeds 2 mm long.

Longevity exceeds a hundred years and growth rate is rather slow.

Azara serrata and Azara microphylla

Please note : Azaras were formerly part of large family Flacourtiaceae.

Our favourite varieties

Azara microphylla

Large evergreen bush from Chile with small leathery, glossy leaves. Yellow spring flowering slightly resembles that of mimosa. Hardy to -10°C.

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 4 m

See the product sheet

Azara serrata

Native to rain forests of Argentina and Chile, this bush has an erect fountain habit reaching up to five metres tall. Leaves are ovate and coarsely dentate, a lovely glossy dark green. Like its cousin, the spring flowering is reminiscent of mimosa and attracts bees.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 5 m

See the product sheet

Planting Azara

Where to plant?

Plant Azara in full sun or, if necessary, in partial shade in areas where winter temperatures do not fall below −12°C: South, Atlantic coast and well-protected town gardens sheltered from cold winds can readily accommodate azaras.

Azaras require a cool, rich, humus-bearing soil, non-calcareous and, above all, well drained to prevent roots from freezing in winter.

When to plant?

Planting is done in autumn (November–December) in milder areas or in late spring once risk of frost has passed.

How to plant?

• Re-wet the rootball by dipping the young plant into water for a few minutes and remove from pot
• Dig a hole at least twice the volume of the rootball
• Keep excavated soil and mix it with coarse sand, gravel or pumice to lighten the soil, especially if heavy
• Avoid placing a layer of gravel at bottom of hole to improve drainage as often recommended or read; this actually increases water stagnation near the roots. Instead add a few handfuls of potting compost or well-rotted compost to bottom of hole
• Place rootball in hole and backfill with excavated soil (mixed with sand and gravel)
• Firm soil lightly around base of plant
• Give a generous watering with water to reduce risk of creating “air pockets” between substrate and roots
• Mulch of leaves or BRF to depth of 10 cm is beneficial.

Other species and varieties of interest: Azara lanceolata and Azara microphylla ‘Variegata’

Care and maintenance

Care

Azara requires little care. Just remember to water during the first months after planting and during periods of severe drought, especially in first year.

Renew mulch every year.

Pruning

Azara does not require pruning, except to remove dead wood or one or two branches that obstruct the structure. Carry out any such pruning after flowering, therefore between May and July depending on species. Bush does not reshoot from old wood, so avoid pruning into old wood.

Possible diseases and pests

Azara does not suffer from diseases or pests.

In very cold winters, foliage, normally evergreen, may be lost, but it regrows as soon as warmer weather arrives.

Propagation: propagation by cuttings, layering

Propagation by cuttings in summer

• Cut a young shoot about 10 centimetres long. It must have at least three nodes.
• Remove leaves from the future cutting, leaving only four at the tip to reduce water loss by evapotranspiration.
• Insert three-quarters of each cutting into a free-draining mix of equal parts potting compost and sand.
• Keep substrate moist but not waterlogged.
• Place cuttings in shade. Wait until the following spring before planting the bush in the ground.

Air layering in spring

• In April, choose a well-lignified stem (woody), and remove all leaves except the last ones at the tip. Carefully remove a section of bark 1–2 cm long using a razor blade or a sharp knife sterilised with alcohol.
• Enclose this part of the branch in a plastic bag. Fill the resulting “pocket” with sphagnum or moss (bryophyte). Spray with water to ensure everything is well moistened.
• Secure this “wrapping” at both ends with raffia or string.
• Layering takes time: roots will only develop after several months, sometimes longer. Once roots have formed, you can cut the branch below the plastic wrapping.
• Unwrap everything and pot the young seedling in a free-draining mix of equal parts universal potting compost and river sand.
• Wait another year before replanting the young bush in its permanent location.

Companion plants for Azara

Within a flowering hedge for mild climates or coastal locations

Azara serrata form sumptuous, colourful and very lively hedges as they attract many insects. The ideal is to mix them with other flowering bushes. For example, a beautiful Ceanothe arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’ whose blue flowers will soften the yellow of Azara flowers. A Choisya ternata will bring a fruity fragrance, while an Abelia grandiflora will flower through summer and into early autumn. To have a second bush with evergreen foliage, opt for a very pretty Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Elizabeth’ with foliage delicately variegated with cream, which will flower in spring with a pleasant honey scent.

An example of a planting combination: Azara serrata, Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewitthen Blue’, Choisya ternata, Abelia grandiflora and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Elizabeth’

Alone near a south-facing wall

An Azara microphylla will easily brighten a south-facing wall in colder regions or a slightly less luminous and warm aspect in areas with a milder climate. It is often tricky to plant more than one bush next to a wall. The simplest is therefore to brighten its base with container plantings. Opt for blue tones that will perfectly complement the glossy green foliage and the yellow flowering of Azara. A handsome young plant of Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’ with glaucous foliage and pink autumn flowering will be a perfect and very hardy companion to your bush. A pot of Euphorbia myrsinites, whose foliage is slightly bluish and whose yellowish flowering will harmonise perfectly with Azara’s. As for bush choice, try a small, charming Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ with evergreen bluish foliage. In mild climates, you can add a Leonitis leonurus, a Lamiaceae with spectacular orange flowering that will follow closely that of Azara.

Another example of a planting combination: Azara microphylla, Euphorbia myrsinites, Leonitis leonurus, Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’ and Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’

Note: Azara can itself be grown in a pot in well-draining soil.

Did you know?

• Genus Azara honours the Spaniard Féliz Manuel de Azara, soldier, engineer but above all a brilliant self-taught Spanish naturalist who spent twenty years in South America at the end of the 18th century exploring, delineating Spain’s new borders and studying the local fauna and flora.
• First Azara was introduced to Europe only in 1861.
• Flowering branches can be used for bouquets or placed in a vase.
• Azara serrata received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2013.