SCIENTIFIC NAME: Azalea x 'Astronaut'

COMMON NAME: Astronaut Azalea

GARDEN SIZE: 2 to 3 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 6 to 9

EXPOSURE: Morning sun with afternoon shade; filtered sun

WATER & SOIL: Keep soil moist but well-drained (no wet feet); prefers humus-rich, acidic soil. Avoid heavy clay.

HABIT (FORM): Compact, rounded, mounding

FOLIAGE: Evergreen; medium to dark green

FLOWERS: Very large 4–5" single blooms in white, coral, pink, and red; heavily variegated with streaks, speckles, and blotches; late spring to early summer with possible fall rebloom

PLANT ORIGIN: Holly Springs Satsuki 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