Azaleas, which are decorative flowers, have been celebrated for their beauty for years now all over the world as countries have made of them national symbols, while cities have organized festivals celebrating their bloom.
The Azalea belongs to the Rhododendron genus and it’s a very easy plant to nurture as it doesn’t require as much sun as other plants. The flower usually finds the soil near the trees as the best soil to grow and it typically blooms for 1 to 2 months in the spring, after this period the flower dies out.
Interesting enough is the fact that the Azalea is the symbol of the Sagittarius astrological sign, the symbol of Sao Paolo in Brazil and in the Chinese culture it represents a literary symbol as authors often make reference to this flower when creating metaphors or other analogies. Quite popular and appreciated worldwide, the Azalea is amongst the most cultivated flowers by the plant enthusiasts which have seen not only its amazing qualities, but also people’s interest in this flower.
The Azaleas are flowers with terminal blooms which last up to 2 months. Their color varies from white to shades of pink or even purple and the azalea abounds in stems which create a multitude of colors in the blooming season. What can really harm the growth of the Azaleas is an over-moist soil, so the cultivators have to be quite careful not to provide a harmful environment for this plant as in many occasions they use fertilizers, which are not only dangerous, but also in excess.
The Azaleas are susceptible to flower diseases that mostly attack the leaves and not the petals. The florists advise people to use their hands to remove the contaminated leaves as a control method, because these diseases tend to spread from plant to plant until they can completely destroy a colony of Azaleas.
The Azaleas can create the most beautiful setting in parks or even in personal gardens as they are very colorful and elegant, managing to bring life even in the dullest of places. Mainly decorative, these flowers are worldwide acknowledged for their splendor and vividness, and are the favorite flower of florists and gardening enthusiasts.
The United States is a country very attached to this flower as its citizens have even created a society dedicated to this plant, which goes by the name of the Azalea Society of America, while cities in the States have been celebrating the Azalea through festivals mostly occurring in the spring. Another culture well preoccupied with the Azalea flower is the Japanese, as the city of Motoyama celebrates a festival of Azalea, while Tatebayashi is a city which has invested a lot of money, time and dedication into creating a park named after the famous flower, the Azalea Hill Park.
It’s always a delight to see them bloom, as the Azaleas represent spring, fresh scent and rebirth. It is nature brought to cities, and life brought to concrete.
Azalea Pictures Gallery
