Do all azaleas have to be planted where they will get shade?
While azaleas will grow in the sun, they will need a little more care than if you plant them where they can get shade. The primary thing they will need is extra water getting established. Azaleas are rather shallow rooted and do well with soaker hoses slowly releasing the water near their roots. A good mulch (pine bark or pine straw at least 3 inches thick) cuts down weeds and keeps the moisture from evaporating so quickly. I have a number of karume (reasonably tall azaleas) which get almost nothing by rainwater now and doing great even in our drought. They are well established (the ones I planted are ten years old, and the ones that came with the house even older.) I can’t find a good picture (where ARE they??) but if you look to the right and top you see a pink/red azalea which is about 6 feet tall and gets very little shade. Full sun in the afternoon and nothing but rainwater now…
