Formosa Southern Indica Azalea
Rhododendron indica ‘Formosa’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7b-10b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 6-8′
Width at Maturity: 6-8′
Suggested Spacing: 5′ for solid hedge; 12’+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Mounding, Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Spacing: 5′ for solid hedges – 10’+ for space between plants
Flower Color: Purple
Flower Size: Large, 3-3.5″
Flowering Period: Spring
Flower Type: Single
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand (Amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 4.5 – 6.5
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Heat, Humidity, Sun
Description
One of the best of the sun and heat-tolerant evergreen Southern Indica Azaleas, Formosa Azalea wows in spring when it produces LOADS of large, bright purple flowers that nearly cover the foliage. Grows more rapidly than other types of azaleas in a large mound 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. This makes Formosa a fine selection for a colorful natural hedge or screen in landscape and woodland borders.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing in a large mound 6 to 8 feet tall and wide over time, Formosa Azalea is most useful as a natural hedge or in small to large groupings in landscape borders. The plants perform exceptionally well under tall pine trees. Also ideal for use as accents, corner plants or as espalier against large open walls in home foundation plantings. Lower branches can also be removed to form an attractive small evergreen tree serves well as a focal point in the landscape or large containers. A fine addition to Azalea gardens, purple theme gardens and cottage gardens.
Spacing: 5 feet apart for solid hedges; 12 feet or more apart for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Azalea variety is not winter hardy outdoors, you can enjoy it in containers that can be moved indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area
How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?
Growing Preferences
Southern Indica Azaleas are very easy to grow. They prefer a moist but well-drained acidic soil that is rich in organic matter and full sun to part shade. That said, we think they perform and look their best with a little shade or filtered sunlight during the hottest part of summer afternoons. Established plants have good drought tolerance.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Azaleas.
- Planting Evergreen Azaleas In The Ground & In Pots
- Fertilizing & Watering Evergreen Azaleas
- Pruning Evergreen Azaleas
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Our plants arrived when promised and in good shape. They look healthy and appear to have had a good start in life. We look forward to their first blooms in Florida. Thanks Wilson team, the experience was epic.————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plants are beautiful as expected. If they do as well as the one I already had I will be very happy!
One note however, root balls were very hard and dry.——————————-We are glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Sorry for the moisture problem, we try so hard to make sure our plants arrive hydrated, keep us posted. Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
One note however, root balls were very hard and dry.——————————-We are glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Sorry for the moisture problem, we try so hard to make sure our plants arrive hydrated, keep us posted. Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Plant arrived perfect! In fact I ordered 2. Both are now in ground and buds are abundant. Looking forward to full blooming soon.———————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! Thanks for the kind words! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
This Formosa azalea was so lush and perfect after I opened the box. I have another one, which is very large that I scored at a nursery because it was way in the back in a 15 gal pot, remnant from a landscaping project. I wanted another with a complimentary color. Can’t wait for it to bloom in spring.——————————Thanks for the kind words! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
Very well cared for plants that just look so healthy! Packed and shipped very well. I could not wait to get them in the ground so I planted them the same day I received them 🙂 ——————– WBG Reply: Hi JoDell, Thanks so much for your review of the Formosa Azaleas and for the compliments! Hope you enjoy these beauties for years to come.
Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens





















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