Fireball Azalea

Deciduous azaleas have long been favorites of landscapers and small scale gardeners for years. It's not hard to see why with its graceful growing habit and bright colors. Fireball Azalea (Rhododendron 'Fireball') is no different and brings its own flare.

This shrub flowers at nearly the same time as it's unfurling its leaves, giving your garden an interesting early spring twist.

While your neighbors are patiently waiting for their own flowering bushes to start showing signs of color, yours will already be all but drowning in vibrant orange-red fluffy looking petals.

Meanwhile, the leaves emerge bronze-red themselves, meaning Fireball is quite the looker each spring!

Try maximizing the effect it has by pairing with either another azalea like Lemon Lights or with a heavier shrub like a boxwood or arborvitae.

Even planted by itself, there's still plenty of appeals. From the orange-red flowers to the rounded growth habit that lends itself beautifully into landscapes or containers!

Whether you home it in the front yard near the sidewalk, or in the backyard next to the patio, it's sure to be visited by its fair share of beneficial pollinators.

If you're extra lucky (and if you end up with a Fireball Azalea we think you are) you might even find yourself with a curious hummingbird fluttering around hoping for a snack from the trumpet-shaped flowers.

Don't let the garden next door snag a Fireball Azalea before you. Order yours today from our expert growers at LetsPlantify.com!

How to Use Fireball Azalea in the Landscape

Anyone who has an azalea will tell you the best place to plant it is somewhere everyone can see it in the spring!

This shrub, like others in the family, has an open branching structure that gives it an almost see-through quality, even with its flower buds.

Plant it towards the front of your property to create an interesting perspective that allows you to see through them to other parts of the plant picture you're creating. This helps bring the viewer's eyes in.

This light looking bush also helps create texture when planted next to heavier pieces like broad-leaved evergreens, boxwoods, or various thuja cultivars. Use them all in a boxed shrub border!

If you have a perennial garden, consider planting it towards the back. It may not be a dense shrub but its height would still cover shorter blossoms. It's leaves that emerge bronze-red mature to mid-green by summer, making it perfect as a backdrop.

Small spaces such as cottage gardens are an area where Fireball shines. It's a great way to condense a powerful pop of color.

If you're blessed with a big yard, you can always use a plethora and create the most magnificent mass planting the neighborhood has ever seen.

#ProPlantTips for Care

We love a low-maintenance plant. Maybe that's why we adore Fireball so much.

Try to find a nice spot in full sun and moist well drained soil when checking out planting sites. Part shade works just as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that rhododendrons like acidic soil conditions. If your soil fits the bill, great! If not, consider using some azalea fertilizer to help it reach its full potential. Just be careful not to feed after July as it will delay dormancy come fall.

Mulch is another way to create the happiest plant possible. It helps to keep the soil cool during the hot summer days along with conserving moisture. Sure doesn't hurt that mulch makes gardens look pristine and weed-free too!

If you'd like to reduce the size at all, grab your sharp pruning shears and give the shrub a trim right after it's done flowering. This makes sure you don't disturb any of next year's blooms.

Be the first in the neighborhood to show off spring color when you add a Fireball Azalea to the garden. Order yours today before they're gone!