Azalea luteum Narcissiflora

Rhododendron Narcissiflora is perhaps the best deciduous, yellow-flowered Azalea. This hardy, vigorous shrub blooms in spring with a profusion of fragrant, semi-double flowers, similar in shape and fragrance to some botanical narcissus flowers. This very hardy plant is also distinguished by its autumn foliage, which is highly ornamental at the end of the season. Unfortunately too little known and too little used, deciduous Azaleas are infinitely graceful plants that thrive in lime-free soil, and have many other qualities: they are at once fragrant, colourful, and elegant, and they are also less demanding in terms of soil and climate than their evergreen Japanese cousins. 

Azaleas are actually Rhododendrons, but with flowers that have 5 stamens instead of 10. They are plants from the Ericaceous family, just like heathers, preferring mainly lime-free, acidic soils, and humid climates. The Narcissiflora Azalea is an old horticultural hybrid dating back to 1871, derived from Rhododendron luteum, a hardy and extremely robust Eurasian botanical species also known as Pontic Azalea. It is classified in the horticultural group of Ghent hybrid Azaleas.

'Narcissiflora' is a rather slow-growing shrub with a bushy, branching habit that is rather spreading, both slender and very dense. By the age of 10, this azalea will be about 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) in height and 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in spread. It can eventually reach up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) by 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in) under ideal growing conditions. Its extremely fragrant flowers bloom over a long period from early April to late May, depending on the climate. The small star-shaped flowers, 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter, seem almost double: they are composed of a corolla of soft yellow petals, surrounded by a calyx of the same yellow, and are grouped in terminal clusters. They are adorned with 5 long arched yellow stamens that contribute to the beauty of the flowers. The deciduous foliage consists of simple, oval-lanceolate leaves with smooth edges, alternately arranged on the branches. They vary from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 inches) in length, and their dark green summer colour turns to yellow-orange in October. 

Chinese azaleas are quite hardy and tolerate sunny positions quite well, as well as heat, and occasionally dry soil depending on the hybrids. However, they will be at their best 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 harmonize well with 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.  'Narcissiflora' will be magnificent when combined with other Chinese azaleas in shades of white, orange, peach or red. Plant it near the house to enjoy its fragrance. 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.