Azalea mollis Persil

The Azalea mollis 'Persil' is a fairly old variety of Chinese Azalea, still valued for its beautiful, spreading habit and its spring flowers that are as bright as they are refined. Clusters of large, beautiful, orchid-like flowers are grouped at the end of the branches: they are pure white, slightly tinged with pink when they open, and adorned with a superb golden-yellow blotch on the upper petal. Too little known and too little used, deciduous Azaleas are very graceful plants growing in chalk-free soil, with a whole host of qualities, so do not hesitate to plant it 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.  'Persil' is a British cultivar obtained in 1926 by Anthony Waterer. It is part of a series of hybrids called Knap Hill. 'Persil' received an AGM (Award of Garden Merit) from the Royal Horicultural Society in England in 1993.

The 'Persil' Azalea is a rather slow-growing shrub. In its early years it has a slightly loose habit, before filling out and widening with age, giving the plant a dense yet graceful, spreading appearance. At maturity, this Azalea will reach about 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in width. It flowers 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, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, funnel-shaped and with very ruffled edges, are gathered in terminal clusters. They are adorned with 5 long arched 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 bronze and brown 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 less demanding requirements than evergreen Japanese azaleas: they are quite hardy and tolerate sunny exposures, and even occasionally dry soil depending on the hybrids. Nevertheless, they will give their best in cool climates with marked winters, planted in humus-rich and fertile soil, without active limestone. They are very beautiful shrubs for borders, with a very natural habit, and are very attractive twice a year. They happily accompany Japanese maples, which also change their appearance throughout the seasons, as well as Japanese camellias or their graceful autumn-flowering cousins often with fragrance, the hybrids of C.sasanqua. They can also be grown in a carefully chosen large pot, with a suitable substrate and preferably watered with non-calcareous water. The undeniable beauty of deciduous azaleas deserves a few adjustments to recreate the conditions they prefer.

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. The 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.