Satsuki Azalea

Common Name: Satsuki Azalea

Scientific Name: Rhododendron 'Nami'

Origin: Hybrid

Family: Ericaceae

Bloom time: Spring - Early Summer

Satsuki in Japanese refers to May, the month in which this hybrid rhododendron begins to bloom. Satsuki azaleas have been bred and hybridized in Japan since at least the 1400s and play a major role in many Japanese gardens because of their wonderful blooms and how well they respond to pruning. Traditionally, azaleas in a Japanese garden are pruned into a semi-sphere shaped called tamamono, or into an undulating hedge. The flowers on this cultivar, Rhododendron 'Nami', can be red, white, or a striped combination of the two.