These 5 Compact Azaleas Are Perfect for Pots – And Some Will Even Rebloom All Season
These varieties will flower way beyond spring
If you want to fill a small space with large spring blooms and evergreen glossy foliage, look no further than compact varieties of azaleas. These naturally dwarf types are the best azaleas for pots, and here’s why.
They may be smaller in stature but offer all the stunning beauty of larger azaleas, plus more. Types like Encore and Perfecto Mundo azaleas are rebloomers that’ll flower in both spring, summer, and fall, while dwarf Japanese azaleas can be ultra-compact and will grow as bonsai in containers.
Article continues below1. Encore Azaleas
Encore azaleas are compact, reblooming evergreen shrubs. They will burst into flower across three seasons, in spring, summer, and fall. First comes a dramatic spring display, followed by other flushes of flowers in late summer and through fall.
There are different varieties of Encore azaleas suited for containers, but one really dramatic option is ‘Autumn Bonfire’. This is one of the best azaleas for pots, as it grows to 2-3 feet tall and dazzles with vivid red flowers. It will have a variety of single and semi-double blooms that stand out against the shrub’s bright green leaves.
Dwarf azaleas for containers want ericaceous compost to thrive and a part-shade position. Use a potting soil formulated for azaleas, such as this soil for acid-loving plants at Amazon.
You can get an Autumn Bonfire® Encore® Azalea Shrub at Fast Growing Trees
2. Kurume Azaleas
Kurume azaleas are dense, compact shrubs that originate from the slopes of Mount Kirishima on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island. The shrubs have a dense growing habit, which makes them popular for bonsai.
Kurume azaleas reach 4-6 feet, but can be kept more compact in a container. They have small trumpet-shaped flowers that appear profusely in spring and small, glossy foliage.
A particularly stunning variety is a Hino Crimson Kurume Azalea, which became the top kurume azalea after its introduction into the US in the 1940s. It is one of the hardiest evergreen azaleas, and will impress with crimson-red flowers in mid-spring, which will attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.
During the flowering display, you can deadhead azalea flowers to keep the shrub looking in top shape.
Deadheading may not reward you with lots of new blooms, but brown flowers can take away from the overall look. If you prefer a neat shrub, remove faded blooms with a pair of pruning snips, like these straight-edged Felco pruning snips at Walmart.
You can get a live Hino Crimson Kurume Azalea Shrub at Nature Hills
3. Perfecto Mundo Azaleas
The Proven Winners brand of plants is known for quality shrubs, and it offers several compact azaleas as part of its Perfecto Mundo series. There are pink, red, white, purple, and orange azaleas in the series, but none stand out more than the Perfecto Mundo Double Pink azalea.
It has to be considered one of the best azaleas for pots, as it reaches just 2-3 feet and can bloom from spring through to the frost. The rebloomer produces big double-pink blooms, with one flush in spring followed by a longer flower display from midsummer into fall. Perfecto Mundo Double Pink is also resistant to lacebugs and azalea diseases.
Perfecto Mundo Double Pink blooms on old wood in spring, then new wood later in the season. Prune the azalea quickly after the spring display to encourage new growth and further blooms.
It is also advisable to fertilize azaleas in early spring, and again after the first flush of blooms. Use a granular shrub feed, such as this azalea, camellia, and rhododendron plant food at Amazon.
You can get a Proven Winners® Perfecto Mundo® Double Pink Azalea Shrub at Fast Growing Trees
4. Delaware Valley White Azalea
A Delaware Valley White Azalea is a hybrid variety that grows to a maximum of four feet in 10 years, though it will stay more compact in a container.
It produces gorgeous single white trumpet-shaped flowers in spring. The blooms fill a deck or patio with a perfumed scent and attract bees and butterflies. The deep olive-green foliage turns a golden yellow color in the fall for additional seasonal interest.
A Delaware Valley White Azalea is hardy down to US hardiness zone 5; however, shrubs in containers are more susceptible to cold.
To protect container plants from winter weather, move the pots to a sheltered area or cover the pots with insulating material, such as frost cloth, burlap, or winter pot covers, like these frost protection covers at Amazon, to help overwinter azaleas in pots.
You can get a Delaware Valley White Azalea Shrub at Fast Growing Trees
5. Satsuki Azaleas
Azaleas can make attractive and simple bonsai trees. If you want to try caring for such a bonsai tree, a Satsuki azalea makes a perfect choice. Satsuki azaleas are very compact, slow-growing, and among the best azaleas for pots.
They are not just suitable for bonsai; you can simply grow one in a small container. The compact azaleas reach a maximum of four feet (though they will stay smaller in pots) and produce large flowers for a shrub of their stature. These blooms appear from April to June, and different varieties come in shades of white, pink, red, or purple.
Satsuki azaleas are not as hardy as other varieties listed here; they are suitable for zones 7-9. Gardeners in colder climates will need to overwinter plants indoors to ensure they survive the colder months.
You can get a live Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Tree at Amazon, complete with pot and humidity tray
What to Shop
Quality gloves are essential when planting, feeding, or pruning azaleas. These flexible and breathable floral gardening gloves are puncture-proof and scratch-resistant.
You can also grow azaleas in raised beds, as well as pots. This customizable 17" high raised bed kit is made from long-lasting steel that resists rust and corrosion.
A pair of sharp pruning shears is a necessity for trimming azaleas. These shears have carbon steel bypass blades and can prune stems up to half an inch in diameter.
Many of the most popular flowering shrubs can be grown in pots, if you pick the right varieties for a limited space. For example, you can grow hydrangeas in pots successfully if you pick compact varieties and place them in a part-shade spot in your yard.
If that sounds tempting, our guide to the best hydrangeas for small spaces showcases five compact varieties that can thrive in containers.
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