Flame Creeper Azalea

Light Needs

Partial Sun

(5-6 Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

6 to 9

Azalea is the perfect low-growing shrub for providing early spring color in the garden. Flame Creeper Azalea is a glowing example that combines large, intensely colored flowers with a compact, spreading growth habit. The deep green, evergreen foliage provides a year-round backdrop for a wide variety of other blooming shrubs and herbaceous perennials. The single, trumpet-shaped flowers are ideal for attracting beneficial bees and hummingbirds to your garden landscape. Rhododendron ‘Flame Creeper’ can even be grown in a container or large planter to decorate patios and decks.

Azaleas are tough, hard-working plants that give shape and form to the garden four seasons of the year. Deer and rabbits rarely browse or damage the woody branches or tough foliage. The low profile of Flame Creeper is great for edging the front of a woodland garden or the sides of walkways and driveways. The large showy flowers appear early in the spring and frequently reappear throughout the summer months when planted in a somewhat shady or protected location. 

Flame Creeper Azalea Care

Flame Creeper Azalea thrives when planted in fertile, acidic, and well-draining soil. Annual mulching with organic compost will help the soil retain moisture, deliver nutrients, as well as suppress annual weeds. Water azaleas consistently for the first few growing seasons and throughout the winter if the weather is dry and warm. Traditionally, azaleas grow best in part shade, with protection from afternoon sun. Fertilizer formulated for acid-loving shrubs and perennials can be applied early in the spring to encourage larger flowers as well as deep green foliage. 

Pruning should be performed twice during the growing season. Late in the winter, remove any branches that have been damaged from heavy snow or winter winds. After flowering ends in late spring, deadhead and trim back branches to maintain a mounded shrub shape. Always cut above a pair of leaf nodes to reduce the appearance of bare stems. 

If possible, move potted azaleas to a sheltered outdoor location for the winter months. Shrubs planted in containers are more susceptible to damage from cold and frozen soil. Planters that are too large to move can be wrapped in layers of horticultural fabric, burlap, or frost blankets to help insulate the root zone. Unexpected early spring freezes may damage emerging flower buds, resulting in reduced flowering for the season. 

Flame Creeper Azalea Spacing

Flame Creeper Azalea is a medium-growing shrub and will reach a mature height of 30 inches and a spread of 36 inches. Space plants 24 inches apart, center to center, when planting a low-growing hedge. Containers with at least a 20-inch diameter are ideal for growing this azalea as a thriller with room for up to three other filler and spiller plants.

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