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Snowbird Azalea

Rhododendron 'Snowbird'

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Snowbird Azalea (Rhododendron 'Snowbird') at Blomidon Nurseries (1970) Limited

Snowbird Azalea flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  3 feet

Spread:  3 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  6b

Description:

Clusters of dainty white blooms, flushed with pink, cover this azalea in mid-spring; a compact rounded shrub with attractive leaves that turn orange, with red and yellow tones, in the fall; needs highly acidic and organic soil that is well drained

Ornamental Features

Snowbird Azalea is covered in stunning clusters of fragrant white trumpet-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones at the ends of the branches in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive pink flower buds before the leaves. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The glossy narrow leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Snowbird Azalea is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Snowbird Azalea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Mass Planting
  • General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Snowbird Azalea will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Accent  Massing  Garden 
Applications
Flowers  Fall Color  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features