Azaleas are perennial flowering shrubs, usually bearing flowers from March to June, depending on the variety. There are thousands of varieties to choose from, with flower colours ranging from pinks and purples to reds, oranges and yellows. Azaleas grow best in a semi-shaded bed or woodland border in the garden, but they also do well in pots. Some azaleas (sometimes known as greenhouse azaleas) are suitable for bringing into the home from a cool, protected environment as house plants, although they will suffer if kept in warm, dry conditions for too long.

Azaleas are closely related to rhododendrons and are placed together with them in the Rhododendron genus, which can make distinguishing between the two confusing when looking at a plant label. They share many characteristics but there are some differences you will notice with azaleas: