Azalea japonica Elsie Lee

The Japanese Azalea Elsie Lee is a delightful small ericaceous shrub that is covered in May with large double, lilac flowers. They bloom on a rather upright, neat-looking shrub that looks wonderful in a planter on the terrace or along the edge of a border. Japanese Azaleas merit the changes needed to recreate the conditions they prefer: they thrive in semi-shade, in soil that is always slightly moist and devoid of lime. This easy-to-grow, hardy variety is very popular because of its unusual colour.

The Elsie Lee hybrid Rhododendron is an American variety bred by AM Shammarello, back in1960. This variety has received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in England for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. Small and slow-growing with an upright and dense habit, the Elsie Lee Azalea will reach approximately 60 cm (23.6 in) in height and 40 cm (15.7 in) in spread by the age of 10. Flowering occurs in May in average climates taking the form of fully double funnel-shaped flowers up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter. The wavy petals are pinky-mauve with a deeper lilac in the centre of the flower and gathered in terminal clusters of 3 to 5. The foliage lasts more or less through the winter consisting of small, simple, oval leaves with smooth edges, arranged alternately on the branches. They are a rather deep, but bright, glossy green. 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.

Japanese azaleas thrive in humid and cool climates, with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich and acid soil, such as ericaceous soil. They are very beautiful evergreen shrubs for beds or pots, attractive all year round. They harmonise beautifully with Japanese maples or their relatives, Chinese Azaleas, which change colour with the seasons, as well as Japanese camellias and their graceful cousins, the often fragrant autumn-flowering Camellia sasanqua hybrids. This Elsie Lee variety, which forms a glorious bouquet of flowers in spring, will look wonderful on the terrace or balcony, in a large, carefully chosen pot, in suitable soil, and watered with lime-free water.