Carnival Fanfare Azalea

Carnival Fanfare Azalea (Rhododendron indicum 'Carnival Fanfare', still sold as Azalea indica) is a compact evergreen shrub that reaches about 1m tall and 1m wide and covers itself in pink and white bicolour blooms. No two flowers are marked quite the same way, which is the point of the Carnival series. Choose it when you want colour in a part shaded bed without a shrub that outgrows the space.

Why you'll love it

• Bicolour flowers with real presence. Pink and white blooms, flecked and striped differently on each plant, carried heavily through the main flush.
• It stays the size you bought it. A metre each way means a border or a pot holds it for years without hard pruning.
• Happy in part shade. Filtered light under established trees suits it better than an open sunny bed.
• Humidity tolerant. It performs in muggy east coast summers that spoil many flowering shrubs, and asks little beyond a yearly trim.

Where it works best

Low hedges and borders. Plant 60cm apart for a low informal hedge that flowers along its whole length. Tighter spacing crowds the roots without closing the row faster.

Mass planting. Set in drifts at the same 60cm spacing under trees, where the flowers read as one block of colour from a distance.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 400mm or wider with an acidic mix keeps it portable, so it can move into view while it flowers.

Growing Carnival Fanfare Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon protection gives the best flowers and the least leaf burn. It grows well in cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts should plant it against a warm wall or keep it potted under cover through winter.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Work compost and aged pine bark through the bed before planting, and use a camellia and azalea mix in pots. Alkaline or waterlogged soil yellows the leaves between the veins.

Water and feed. The roots are shallow and fibrous, so water evenly rather than deeply and mulch 50mm thick. Feed with an azalea and camellia fertiliser after flowering and again in late summer.

Pruning. Trim lightly straight after flowering, before next season's buds set. Cutting later removes the flowers you are waiting for. Old plants take a third off to rebuild density.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, as a 140mm pack of ten and as a 200mm pack of six. Tube stock is young and takes two seasons to make a border plant, so it suits a long run or a mass planting. The 140mm and 200mm plants are branched and flower sooner, which suits a pot or a short hedge.

Azaleas travel well because the root ball is compact, though some flower drop in transit is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete azalea care guide
• Browse the full azalea range
• Compare other plants for part shade

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. The canopies meet in the second season and the row flowers as one band rather than as separate bushes.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas contain grayanotoxins and are highly toxic to cats, dogs and horses if the leaves or flowers are eaten. Plant it where a chewing pet cannot reach it, and call a vet if any part is swallowed.

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Usually soil that is too alkaline, which locks up iron. Feed with an azalea fertiliser, mulch with aged pine bark, and check that the bed is not staying wet.

Will it grow in full sun?

It survives, but the flowers burn and the leaves bleach in hot afternoon sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade gives far better results.