Azalea mollis Harvest Moon

Azalea mollis 'Harvest Moon' is an old variety of Chinese Azalea, notable for its fragrant flowers, in a palette of very soft yellows. Its large ruffled flowers in shades of yellow moon and pale dawn, bloom in spring, before the appearance of the foliage. It becomes charming again later in the year, with its sumptuous autumn foliage. Unlike Japanese Azaleas, this plant is deciduous and very hardy. Too little known and too little used, deciduous Azaleas are infinitely graceful plants with numerous qualities, just waiting for a place in the garden or in a large pot on the terrace!

The Rhododendron molle is a shrub from the heather or Ericaceae family, native to central and eastern China, which has given rise to most of the deciduous Azalea varieties grown in gardens through hybridisation. 'Harvest Moon' is a British cultivar developed before 1950 by Anthony Waterer. It is part of a series of hybrids called Knap Hill. 

'Harvest Moon' is a rather slow-growing shrub. It has a slightly loose habit in its early years, then its branches thicken and spread over time, giving the plant a slightly upright appearance that is both graceful and bushy. By the age of 10, this Azalea will reach about 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread. It can eventually reach up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height under optimal growing conditions. Its pleasantly scented flowers bloom over a long period from mid-April to mid-May, depending on the climate, at the same time as the young leaves appear on the branches. The large flowers, measuring up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, have a very ruffled funnel shape and are gathered in terminal clusters. They are creamy-yellow enhanced by a warmer yellow in the centre, washed with light salmon. 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, arranged alternately 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 bronze-copper and dark red in October. 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.

Deciduous Chinese Azaleas have fewer requirements than evergreen, Japanese Azaleas: they are very hardy and tolerate sunny positions, and even dry soil on occasion, depending on the hybrids. However, they give their best in cool climates, with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich, fertile, lime-free soil. They are beautiful shrubs for borders, with an attractive, informal habit, blooming twice a year. They are the perfect accompaniment to Japanese maples, which also change colour with the seasons, as well as Japanese camellias, or their graceful, often fragrant, autumn-flowering cousins, the Camellia sasanqua hybrids. They can also be grown in a large, carefully chosen pot, in suitable soil, and watered with lime-free water. The undeniable beauty of deciduous Azaleas merits the changes needed to create the conditions they prefer.