Azalea japonica Flash Dance® Salmon - Japanese azalea

Japanese Azalea 'Minsam7' Flash Dance® Salmon is a variety with semi-double flowering, in an original salmon-orange colour. With fairly slow growth, the bush forms a more or less regular ball, slightly wider than it is tall, and can be grown in a container. In the garden, it will integrate perfectly into an acid soil bed, alongside other plants sharing the same needs. Appreciating moist yet well-draining soils, it thrives under the light shade of taller plants, which protect it from harsh sun and maintain a certain level of air humidity.

Azalea is a horticultural name for certain groups of plants that, within botanical classification, belong to the Rhododendron genus. All are part of the Ericaceae family, rich with around a hundred genera often prized for ornamentation, such as the small Leucothoe often with decorative leaves, or the lesser-known Oxydendrum arboreum, which shines for its abundant bell-shaped white flowering and its foliage that takes on flamboyant autumn colours.
The Rhododendron genus is extremely vast, with between 850 and over a thousand wild species, justifying a rather complex botanical classification. Most are hardy plants in our climates, however there are around 300 tropical species. This cosmopolitan genus includes both shrubs and trees that can reach 15 m in height. Azalea Flash Dance Salmon exhibits compact development, as after 10 years in open ground, it will reach approximately 90 cm to 1 m in height, and 1 m in width. This cultivar is a creation by the French breeder Samson, put into production by the Minier nurseries, the largest in France. The evergreen bush bears modest-sized leaves, more or less elliptical in shape and a fairly dark green. The current year's young leaves are a light green that harmonises beautifully with the colour of the flowers. These numerous flowers appear between April and May, and bloom for three weeks. They are semi-double, formed of two corollas nested one inside the other. Their colour varies from a salmon-orange to a salmon-pink, giving them an undeniable romantic charm. In full bloom, the foliage almost completely disappears beneath the multitude of salmon-coloured clusters of 5 to 10 flowers, mainly at the tips of the branches. Few spring-flowering bushes can rival Rhododendrons, and this one proudly holds its rank, creating a spectacle in the garden.

Thanks to its compact dimensions, it will be easy to find a place in the garden for Azalea Flash Dance Salmon, and where calcareous soil prevents its cultivation, simply plant it in a container with suitable acidic compost. Position it in an ericaceous soil bed alongside shrubs with staggered flowering times to cover the entire season. Star Magnolias (M. Stellata) will enchant the beginning of spring with their large, highly visible flowers on bare wood. Enkianthus, with its small bell-shaped flowers, will take over from your Azalea, before passing the baton to the Kalmias, or Mountain Laurels, with sculptural, colourful flowers in May and June. Summer will be dedicated to Hydrangeas, while autumn will see the charming Sasanqua Camellias bloom, with some varieties even flowering in the heart of winter.