Perfecto Mundo® Orange Azalea

Size

Azaleas are the perfect landscape shrub for home gardeners and Perfecto Mundo Orange Reblooming Azalea will make you a believer. Like traditional azaleas, Perfecto Mundo has the ability to bring you a full spring bloom time, and then, unlike traditional azaleas, after a brief rest period, Perfecto Mundo will rebloom in midsummer and continue until fall. Bright salmon orange colored blooms spring out in clusters at the end of the branches and literally cover the dark green glossy leaves. Native azaleas are a member of the Rhododendron family and traditionally do best in light dappled shade at the woodland edge. They are understory plants, living beneath larger trees and shrubs. Get ready, Perfecto Mundo breaks that traditional mold and also thrives in full sun, especially in the northern zones where the midsummer sun is not as intense. Developed by Dr. Tom Ranney of North Carolina State University, the Perfecto Mundo Reblooming azaleas are hardy in Zone 6b to 9b, and in particular do best in the coastal 6b zone and warmer due to the less harsh winters. They are salt tolerant, and resistant to damage by lace bug infestations, a common pest that plagues azaleas. You can expect this lovely perennial shrub to grow to 30 inches tall and spread out to 48 inches wide. Azaleas are native to Asia, Europe and North America where they are deciduous, dropping their leaves in winter. Perfecto Mundo will be semi-evergreen, where its attractive dark green leaves remain on the shrub in all but the coldest winters. Use these highly versatile shrubs as container plants, specimen plants, borders and as foundation plants for a focal point in your landscape. Perfecto Mundo® Orange Azalea Care Locate a full sun location with a little afternoon shade for your new shrub. Dig a hole larger than the pot your azalea arrives in, loosening the soil up to 8 inches deeper and 24 inches wider than the pot. Plant them with the top of the soil in the pot level with the soil around it. These are not drought tolerant shrubs so develop a regular watering schedule. After planting, water two times a week until it is established, then water weekly, especially during dry periods. Azaleas need a loose well draining, humus rich soil. They do not tolerate heavy clay soils without some amendment and prefer an acid soil with a pH range of 4.5 to 6.0. Apply a rose fertilizer, either in granular form or a liquid, along the drip line of the shrub. Perfecto Mundo Reblooming Azaleas bloom on old and new wood which gives it that desirable second flush of blooms in midsummer to fall. Although most azaleas do not need pruning, you will find that a light pruning only after the last blossoms fall in spring will promote new wood growth and this is what brings on the second flush of blooms. Mulch with compost, well rotted leaves or peat moss for winter protection of the root zone in colder regions. Perfecto Mundo® Orange Azalea Spacing As important as location is for azaleas, spacing is more so. Although these are compact growing shrubs, they will spread out farther than they grow tall so space your shrubs between 36 and 48 inches apart. If you are creating a hedge row with them, use the 36 inch spacing. If planting as a focal point in your landscape, consider planting an odd number, 1,3 or 5, etc. for the most attractive arrangement. Due to their compact growth habit and fibrous root system, Perfecto Mundo makes an excellent candidate for patio container planting. Choose a planter wide enough to support the wind load and keep the plant from tipping over. Find the Right Variety Compare Perfecto Mundo® Azaleas Compare flower color, mature size, plant type, and the features that set each Perfecto Mundo® reblooming azalea apart.