Azalea. Cold hardy or not?

[Kodama16]

I'm in the south and I leave my azaleas out all year. I'm just curious what y'all do with y'all's? Online says there cold hardy. Then some site say they can't take freezes at all. I have mine freeze with np. What y'all think?

 

[Dav4]

It boils down to the species, and even the cultivar. There are species of azalea that are cold hardy in usda zone 4 (-30 F), and there are cultivars that can are barely hardy handle zone 7 cold. My understanding is that there's significant variation in cold hardiness among the Satsuki cultivars, again with some being very cold hardy while others not so much. Personally, here in N. GA, I let them, all Satsukis, freeze...it was 23 F yesterday AM and they were out on the benches. Prolonged cold with lows in the teens will prompt me to get them on the ground and out of the wind, because the foliage will take a beating with the soil frozen.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I leave all of mine out except for mame size. They seem to do fine. For extended cold snaps I do put them on the ground.

John

 

[Vance Wood]

Any one growing Karumes? Satsukis are beautiful but they do have hardiness problems.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I have a lot of Kurume since satsukis are hard to come by here. The kurumes are more difficult to get to conform to bonsai shape due to growth pattern but if you are willing to put up with it they do look nice.

John

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Any one growing Karumes? Satsukis are beautiful but they do have hardiness problems.

This is a kurume, dug in '01.

 

[clevetromba]

This is a kurume, dug in '01.

Nice! What's the size?

 

[pbethune]

I live in NJ, and the temps went below freezing for three weeks straight. No worries, just kept them out of the wind.

 

[GrimLore]

The only Azalea I ever had that is not cold hardy is the Inga which prefer 68f. They are really beautiful and are worth it if you can setup and care for them. I am certain there are others but that is the only one I am familiar with. All of the others I have stay outside all year, no problem.

Grimmy

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice! What's the size?

26"h x 30"w

 

[LEAVESOFGRASS]

Brian, that's amazing. That's where I want to be able to accomplish.

Been reading a lot on azalea's and @pbethune is right. Keep out of harsh cold wind. Even that is the case, Azalea's are similar to human lips. If you keep them moisturized(watered/Chapstick), they will survive sub zero temps as long as they are rooted.