Magnifica Azalea

Magnifica Azalea (Rhododendron indicum 'Magnifica') is one of the larger indica azaleas, reaching about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, and it flowers hard enough to stop the garden for a month. The blooms are deep magenta purple, carried in such numbers that the foliage disappears behind them from late winter into spring. It is an old, reliable variety that asks for shelter from hot afternoon sun and very little else.

Why you'll love it

• A month of solid colour. Purple and pink flowers smother the plant in late winter and spring, when most shrubs are doing nothing.
• Big enough to matter. At 1.8m it works as a shrub in its own right, and it can be grown as an informal hedge.
• Happy in humidity. Humidity tolerant, so it performs in warm coastal and subtropical gardens as well as cooler southern ones.
• Bees and butterflies find it. The open flowers are easy foraging, and a mass planting is genuinely busy in spring.

Where it works best

Informal hedging and mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a soft informal hedge. At that spacing the plants meet without crowding, and the hedge keeps its rounded shape without clipping.

Feature and border planting. A single plant at the corner of a bed or under a high canopy tree carries the spring display on its own. Allow 1.5m of width.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider with acidic mix holds one well, and container growing keeps it nearer 1.2m.

Growing Magnifica Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Dappled light or morning sun with afternoon shade. Full hot sun bleaches the flowers and scorches leaves; deep shade cuts the flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland and tableland gardens will damage the buds.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Work compost and aged pine bark through the bed, and mulch 50mm deep. Azaleas are surface rooted, so never dig around the base once planted.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone evenly moist while flowering and through the first two summers. Feed an azalea and camellia fertiliser after flowering and again in late summer. Yellow leaves with green veins mean the soil is too alkaline.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering, before next season's buds set. Trim lightly to shape, or cut back by a third to rejuvenate an old plant. Pruning in autumn or winter costs you the spring display.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in five sizes: tube stock, 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three and 300mm pots. Tubes and 140mm plants are the sensible choice for a hedge run or a mass planting, while the 250mm and 300mm plants are bushy and often arrive in bud.

Azaleas travel well but resent drying out, so water yours the day it arrives. Expect a quiet first season while the shallow roots spread, then reliable flowering from year two. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete azalea care guide.
• Compare varieties in our azalea collection.
• Browse more plants for partial shade.
• Pair it with a camellia for winter flower in the same conditions.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas are toxic to cats and dogs, and small amounts of leaf can make an animal seriously ill. Plant it away from where pets graze.

How far apart for a hedge?

One metre apart gives a soft informal hedge that closes in two or three seasons. Any closer and the plants compete, thinning out at the base.

Why are the leaves yellowing between the veins?

Almost always alkaline soil locking up iron. Mulch with aged pine bark, feed an azalea specific fertiliser, and apply iron chelate for a quick correction.

Can I keep it smaller than 1.8m?

Yes. A light trim each year straight after flowering holds it at 1.2m to 1.5m without costing you the following spring.