Azalea japonica Mothers Day

The 'Mother's Day' Japanese Azalea, also known as 'Moederdag', covered with small, beautiful, light satiny red flowers in May, really lives up to its name. This dense, low, spreading shrub, is distinctive because of its small clusters of remarkable, pinky-red flowers accentuated by an elegant, glossy, deep green foliage, which lasts through the winter, if it is not excessively cold. Very resistant to sharp frosts, this variety is a great choice and a perfect gift for Mother's Day. It can be grown in an ericaceous bed in a small Japanese-style garden or in a carefully chosen pot on the terrace.

The Rhododendron (x) obtusum 'Moederdag', commonly known as Japanese Azalea, is a plant from the large Ericaceae family, like the heathers. It is a small and very hardy Shrub that thrives in partial shade and lime-free soil that remains moist throughout the year. This hybrid Azalea is the result of a cross between the 'Professeur Wolters' and 'Hinodegiri' varieties. With an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, England, this Azalea is highly valued for its excellent hardiness (-20°C (-4 °F)), easy cultivation, and vibrant flowers.

Vigorous but low and compact, 'Moederdag' forms a well-branched dome around 60 cm in height and 90 cm (35.4 in) in spread by the age of 10, depending on growing conditions. It generally flowers for 2 to 3 weeks in late May, sometimes earlier depending on the climate. Clusters of 2 to 3 funnel-shaped flowers, about 5 cm (2 in) wide, appear at the tips of the branches. Some are single, while others are semi-double, meaning they have a few extra petals in the centre. Somewhere between red and pink in colour, they have discreet, dark red flecks in the centre of the corolla and long red stamens. The foliage of this variety is generally evergreen. The small, glossy, elongated oval leaves are bright green in summer, turning bronze in winter with the cold. This slow-growing, little ericaceous shrub thrives in moist, humus-rich, aerated soil that is acidic.

Japanese Azaleas grace ericaceous beds all year round with their semi-evergreen foliage, and their charming and unusual blooms brighten up gardens in spring. Planted en masse along a path or at the front of an ericaceous bed, this 'Moederdag' variety will create a striking flush of red in spring. Plant it in a shady rockery, at the edge of a bed or in a container with Pieris, Kalmia, Heather, Chinese Azalea, Rhododendron, dwarf bamboo, Japanese grass Hakonechloa macra and Japanese Maples. Japanese Azaleas are sometimes grown in containers, but they can also be trained into Bonsai by specialists, making very fine specimens to show off in a Zen or Japanese-style setting.