Rhododendron occidentale Delicatissima - Western Azalea

The Azalea 'Delicatissima' is part of a group of Chinese Azaleas hybrids with large remarkably fragrant pastel flowers inherited from their American ancestor, the Western Rhododendron. This bush is covered in spring with bouquets of large light pink flowers enhanced by beautiful yellow-orange macules and marbled with brown highlights, exhaling a very beautiful honeysuckle scent. At the end of the season, it is through the flamboyant colours of its foliage that this delightful azalea stands out. From its original regions, the coastal regions of the Pacific, it has retained a certain sensitivity to extreme cold. Too little known and used, deciduous azaleas are infinitely graceful plants that thrive in non-calcareous soil, endowed with many qualities, definitely worth discovering in the garden or in a large pot on the terrace!

The Western Rhododendron is a shrub belonging to the heather family Ericaceae, native to an area ranging from Oregon to southern California, and even to Mexico. This plant is also found at high altitudes in the mountains (hills or canyons) that border the west coast of the United States, often not far from watercourses, on deep and serpentine moist soil, known to be inhospitable for the vast majority of other plants: serpentinite is an ultra-basic rock resulting from volcanic activity, low in calcium and aluminum but rich in heavy elements such as chromium, nickel, and cobalt. The Western Azalea has the amazing ability to regenerate from the stump after fire or other natural disasters, as long as the root system remains intact. This surprising species, highly variable in nature, has produced some of the most fragrant deciduous azalea varieties through hybridization, especially the English Exbury hybrids.

'Delicatissima' is an old cultivar obtained in England. It is a rather slow-growing bush. It has a dense, ramified, slightly spreading, slender and bushy habit. At maturity, this azalea reaches about 1.20m (3ft 11in) in height with a spread of 1m (3ft 4in), sometimes up to 1.50m (4ft 11in) in height. Its remarkably fragrant flowering takes place from mid-May to mid-June depending on the climate, and lasts for a beautiful period, just before the appearance of the young leaves on the branches. The large flowers, measuring up to 6.5cm (2.6in) in diameter, have a funnel shape with undulating edges and are gathered in terminal clusters of up to 15 flowers. They emerge from pale pink buds and open into corollas of a tender pink washed with deeper pink and brown reflections, maculated with golden yellow to orange on the upper petal. The inner surface of the petals is shiny and sparkling, covered with a kind of iridescent dust. They are adorned with 5 long arched stamens that contribute to the beauty of the flowers. The deciduous foliage is composed of simple, ovate-lanceolate, entire-edged leaves arranged alternately on the branches. Their size ranges from 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 3.9 inches) in length, and their summer colour is a vibrant green that turns flamboyant shades in October. Rhododendrons have a shallow root system that should never lack moisture, but they fear stagnant humidity that suffocates them.

Deciduous Chinese azaleas have less requirements than evergreen Japanese azaleas: they are very hardy and tolerate sunny exposures, and even occasionally dry soil depending on the hybrids. Nevertheless, they give their best in cool climates with marked winters, planted in humus-rich and fertile soil, devoid of active limestone. They are very beautiful shrubs for borders, with a very natural habit, and they are attractive twice a year. They happily accompany Japanese maples, which also change their appearance with the seasons. They can also be associated with Japanese camellias or their graceful and often fragrant autumn-flowering cousins, the hybrids of C.sasanqua. They can also be grown in a carefully chosen large pot, in a suitable substrate, and watered with non-calcareous water if possible. The undeniable beauty of deciduous azaleas deserves some adjustments to recreate the conditions they prefer.

A fragrant note:

The heady fragrance of the Western Azalea is capable of perfuming an entire canyon in its natural environment. Particularly noticeable in hot weather, it evokes, according to some observers, the spicy fragrance found in carnations, with a hint of cloves.