Azalea Happy Days

Azalea 'Happy Days' (Rhododendron indicum 'Happy Days', still widely sold as Azalea indica) is an indica azalea grown for large double rose pink blooms that smother the bush in late winter and early spring. It settles at about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide, which makes it a low hedge or a filled bed rather than a specimen. Evergreen foliage keeps the shape through the rest of the year.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when little else is out. The show comes in late winter into spring, at the point the garden most needs colour.
• Double blooms, not single. Each flower carries extra petals, so the display reads heavier and holds longer than a common single flowered azalea.
• Evergreen structure. Once the flowers finish you still have a dense leafy shrub, which is why it works as a low hedge.
• Happy in part shade. Dappled light under established trees suits it, and that is a difficult spot to plant well.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 1m apart for a low informal hedge. At that spacing the plants knit together within two seasons and you keep a soft, rounded profile rather than a clipped box.

Borders and mass planting. Drifts of five or more at 1m centres read far better than single plants dotted about, and the pink carries across a garden.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 400mm or wider works well, particularly beside a shaded entry. Potted azaleas dry out fast, so be honest with yourself about summer watering.

Growing Azalea 'Happy Days' in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade with morning sun and afternoon protection gives the best flowering and the least leaf burn. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and tolerates humidity well. It handles light frost only, so hard frosting inland and alpine districts are not for it.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Azaleas are surface rooted, so dig compost through the top 200mm rather than deep, plant slightly high, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Consistent moisture matters more than volume, because those shallow roots dry out first. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Feed with an azalea and camellia fertiliser after flowering, and again in late summer.

Pruning. Trim straight after flowering finishes. Leave it much later and you cut off next season's buds, which are set on the new growth over summer.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes: tube, 140mm in packs of ten, and 175mm and 200mm in packs of six. Tube and 140mm plants are young and the value choice for a hedge or mass planting, taking two to three seasons to fill. The 175mm and 200mm plants are bushier and usually flower in their first season with you.

Azaleas travel well, though a plant in full bud may drop some flowers in transit. Plants are delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95. Expect steady root growth through the first year and a proper display in the second. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the azalea care guide for feeding and pruning detail.
• Compare varieties in the azalea collection.
• See other plants for partial shade.
• Browse the wider flowering plants range.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas are toxic to cats and dogs, and eating the leaves or flowers can cause vomiting and more serious effects. Plant it where a pet that chews foliage will not reach it.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart. That spacing lets each plant reach its natural width without crowding, and the hedge closes within about two seasons.

Why are the leaves going yellow between the veins?

That pattern usually means the soil is not acidic enough for the plant to take up iron. Feed with an azalea and camellia fertiliser and mulch with composted pine bark.