RELATED: By making their choices carefully, gardeners in almost every part of the South can enjoy some of these plants, even if that means growing them in containers.

Azaleas bloom in the spring (May and June in the temperate Northern Hemisphere), their flowers often lasting several weeks. Shade tolerant, they prefer living near or under trees. In general, the smaller the leaves, the more sun your azalea shrub requires. Most azaleas bloom for a few weeks in early spring. Proven Winners latest Bloom-A-Thon Double Pink, Lavender, and Red azaleas are establishing themselves as one of the most outstanding re-bloomers. This deciduous azalea produces an abundance of orange to vivid red, funnel-shaped flowers, up to 2 in. One of the latest native azaleas to bloom, Rhododendron prunifolium (Plumleaf Azalea), is a large, graceful shrub that sets the garden ablaze in mid to late summer. Many new re-blooming varieties of azaleas have been popular in the last few years. (You’ll have to go a year without flowers when you do this.) Most azaleas are smaller shrubs than rhododendrons, with thinner, more delicate leaves. Azaleas and rhododendrons may be transplanted at any time during the growing season, but they transplant most successfully during fall or early spring, when they are dormant and temperatures are cool. Cut plants back to 12 inches above the ground. Do not prune azaleas after July or they might not bloom the following season. Pruning Rhododendron & Azaleas. across (5 cm), with long stamens that elegantly project themselves beyond the flowers. They are part of the family Ericaceae Cultivation.

From a technical standpoint, rhododendron flowers are bell shaped and have ten or more stamens, while azalea blooms are typically funnel shaped and have five stamens. Whether they bloom in vivid, clear shades of red, orange and coral or pale pastel pink, azaleas put on a stunning spring flower show. Renewal pruning is done in the late winter or early spring, before flowering.

When do azaleas and rhododendron bloom? Old, overgrown azaleas, or azaleas with an empty center, can be rejuvenated with a harsh trim. With evergreen azaleas you will want to prune them right after the blooms are finished. Fifty-year-old azalea. Azaleas produce new buds around this time of year, and if you cut them off, they will not reproduce new buds until the following summer. Azaleas set their bloom buds the season before the actual show. All azaleas need at least a half-day's worth of sunlight -- or about 6 hours -- in order to bloom properly. Azaleas are actually rhododendrons, relatives of both mountain laurel and blueberries. Plant enthusiasts have selectively bred azaleas for hundreds of years. In general, do not prune spring-flowering shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons. You do have a little bit of a window of time, but you should try to have them pruned by early summer at the latest.