Azalea Knaphill Arneson Gem

Azalea 'Arneson Gem' is a variety of Chinese Azalea with large, bright orange-yellow flowers that are extremely decorative and bloom in clusters towards the end of spring, set off by attractive, soft green foliage. Unlike Japanese Azaleas, this plant is deciduous and very hardy. As well as its vibrant flowers, the shrub also produces beautiful autumn foliage. Too little known and too little used, Chinese Azaleas are very graceful plants with a whole host of qualities, that thrive in lime-free soil. They are a must-have in the garden or in a large pot on the terrace!

Azaleas are actually rhododendrons, with flowers having 5 stamens instead of 10. They are plants of the Ericaceous family, just like heathers, preferring lime-free, acidic soils, and humid climates. 'Arneson Gem' is a hybrid cultivar from the Knap Hill series developed in the United States before 2000. This creation received and award in England from the RHS for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. It is a fairly vigorous shrub, both graceful and bushy, with an upright habit, reaching about 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) in height and 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in spread by the age of 10. Its flowers abundantly over a long period from late May to June. The star-shaped flowers, 7.5 to 9 cm (3 to 3.5 in) in diameter, funnel-shaped with a ruffled edge, are gathered in terminal clusters of 10 to 15. They are a mix of varying intensities of gold and orange. The deciduous foliage is composed of simple, oval-lanceolate leaves, with smooth edges, arranged alternately on the branches. They vary from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 inches) in length, and their bright green summer colour turns orange and then red in October before falling. Azaleas and Rhododendrons have a shallow root system that always needs to be kept moist, but they also dislike waterlogged soil which would suffocate the roots.

Chinese Azaleas have fewer requirements than Japanese Azaleas, which are evergreen: they are quite hardy and tolerate sunny positions, and even occasionally dry soil depending on the hybrids. They are at their best, however, in cool climates, with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich, fertile, lime-free soil. They are beautiful shrubs for borders, with a very attractive, natural habit, blooming twice a year. They are a perfect accompaniment to Japanese maples, which also change their appearance with the seasons, as well as Japanese camellias or their graceful, often fragrant, autumn flowering cousins, the C.sasanqua hybrids. The 'Arneson Gem' Azalea will be magnificent when combined with other Chinese Azaleas in shades of yellow, orange, peach, or red. The undeniable beauty of deciduous Azaleas merits the changes needed to create the conditions they love. They can also be grown in a large, carefully chosen pot with suitable compost, and watered with non-alkaline water.