Japanese Azalea Greenway

Japanese Azalea 'Greenway' is one of the most spectacular spring-flowering shrubs. Reaching no more than 60 cm, its size is modest, but the brilliance of its single, bright pink flowers is absolutely remarkable. Its early flowering, which blooms in April and May, is unmatched for brightening a border. Thanks to its compact dimensions, the shrub is well suited to small gardens and container cultivation, to decorate a terrace, or to protect it from chalky soil it would not tolerate. It will grow in acidic, moist, humus-bearing soils, under the protective shade of taller plants.

Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron genus, according to botanical classification. The latter is part of the large family of Ericaceae, which includes about a hundred other genera with varied and diverse ornamental attributes, from the rare Zenobia pulverulenta, nicknamed Lily-of-the-valley tree because of its small white bell-shaped flowers, to Pieris (Japanese Andromedas), well known for their decorative foliage. The Rhododendron genus is distinguished by its richness and wide geographical distribution: it includes over a thousand wild species, found in both temperate and tropical regions. There are deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen forms, ranging from small shrubs to veritable trees reaching up to 15 metres in height. Some exotic species, notably the tropical Vireya Rhododendrons, are even semi-epiphytic and grow on other plants, like orchids.
Azalea 'Greenway' is a hybrid variety, possibly from the Kurume Azalea group, named after a small town in southern Japan, long specialised in the cultivation of Japanese Azaleas. Kurume Azaleas are thought to descend from Rhododendron kiusianum, a botanical species native to Mount Kirishima. 'Greenway' is a slow-growing shrub that, after 10 years of cultivation, forms a 60 cm clump in all directions. At full maturity, after 15 to 20 years, it will not exceed 1 m in height, making it a very interesting plant for small gardens and pot cultivation, where the nature of the soil (chalky) means it cannot be planted in the ground. The fine, dark brown twigs are covered with small, elliptical leaves, pointed at the tips. A relatively light green when they emerge from the buds, they quickly turn dark green. They are evergreen, giving the shrub presence in winter and forming a beautiful setting for the bright pink flowering in spring. This begins in April, in the form of fascicled cymes made up of several flowers with five more or less oval petals. They are very numerous, almost covering the dark foliage, which makes them stand out even more brilliantly, with their stamens and pistil of an even deeper pink bursting from the heart of the corolla. Despite its compact size, the intensity of its flowering makes it a main attraction in the garden, where it can be seen from afar.

Japanese Azaleas have one of the most spectacular spring flowerings, and 'Greenway' is a superb representative. Its vibrant pink will brighten the partial shade in which it prefers to grow. To create an attractive border, plant beside it Camellia 'Stacy Susan', roughly the same size, whose white flowers with random pink or red streaks will blend perfectly with the bright pink in April. To give them the shade they need, you could choose a tall Magnolia (bearing in mind that their growth is not very fast!). An intermediate vegetation zone can accommodate the all too rare Oxydendron arboreum, with its long summer flowering that lasts at least two months, blooming in long clusters of white bells. To crown it all, its deciduous foliage takes on incredible fiery red colours in autumn.