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Girard's Hot Shot Azalea Rhododendron 'Girard's Hot Shot' Height: 30 inches Spread: 30 inches
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Hardiness Zone: 5a Group/Class: Girard Hybrids Description: A stunning variety with bright crimson blooms that cover dense mounded branches in mid spring, and foliage that turns reddish-orange in fall; showy when in a border or as a garden accent; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil Ornamental Features Girard's Hot Shot Azalea is covered in stunning clusters of lightly-scented crimson trumpet-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches in mid spring before the leaves. It has green deciduous foliage which emerges light green in spring. The glossy narrow leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall. Landscape Attributes Girard's Hot Shot Azalea is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics. Girard's Hot Shot Azalea is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Girard's Hot Shot Azalea will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. Girard's Hot Shot Azalea makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
