SCIENTIFIC NAME: Azalea 'Irene Koster' (Occidentale hybrid)

COMMON NAME: Irene Koster Azalea

GARDEN SIZE: 6-8 feet tall x 4-6 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 5 to 7

EXPOSURE: Full sun to partial sun; prefers bright shade in hotter southern zones. May tolerate being in more sun if given more water (but still avoid leaving them with wet feet).

WATER & SOIL: Keep soil moist but not soggy; thrives in humus-rich, acidic, well-drained soils

HABIT (FORM): Mounding form

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; green foliage

FLOWERS: Light rose-pink with dark pink striped buds; showy yellow blotch with brownish orange spots on upper petals; fragrant, funnel-shaped blooms in late spring

PLANT ORIGIN: Occidentale hybrid

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a host for local insects and wildlife. May provide food for insects in the spring.

FERTILIZING: Apply a fertilizer for acid-loving plants in the early spring.

PRUNING: Remove spent flower clusters immediately after the blooms finish. Pruning is not usually needed or recommended, but may be done right after blooming is finished in late spring or early summer.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

USES: Hedge, Foundation planting, Specimen