My Azalea Is Blooming Again. I’ve Not Known This To…
Juni Asked
My azalea is blooming again. I’ve not known this to happen in the fall. Will my plant be okay and bloom again in the spring?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Juni: Yes, your azalea will be fine and it will bloom next spring but not as prolific as it would have. Spring-blooming azaleas have already formed their flower buds for next spring, which means the blooms you are enjoying now were meant to open in the spring. Unfortunately, they will not produce more buds to compensate for those that have already flowered. It is not unheard of for them to bloom prematurely depending on the weather conditions. Every plant is different in terms of chilling requirements, and with azaleas it differs within species but essentially it is the amount of time a plant needs to go through a cold period before the buds break dormancy and open. Mother Nature can trick flowering plants into thinking, ”it is time for me to bloom” when in reality it is not the normal bloom time. There is nothing we can do to prevent this but fortunately it does not hurt the plant or compromise the health of the plant in any way, it just means you may not have as many blooms in the spring as you would have otherwise. It will do no long-term damage to your azalea.
