How Close Can Azaleas Be Planted?

Azaleas bloom in the spring.

The azalea is a flowering shrub with a wide range of blossom colors and maturity sizes. Regular pruning is required to keep the shrubs looking neat and tidy. However, planting azaleas too close makes it difficult to get in and around the plants.

Rule of Thumb

When planting multiple azaleas, spacing between the plants depends on the width of each azalea when mature. A formula is to add the mature widths of all the plants together and divide this number by the number of plants to determine spacing.

Example for Planting the Same Variety

Low-growing varieties, such as the Gumpo and Satsuki azalea, typically grow 2 to 4 feet high and wide. Using the formula with three Gumpo azaleas, each one growing to a mature width of 4 feet, the distance between each plant is 4 feet, (4 + 4 + 4, divided by 3).

Example for Planting Mixed Varieties

Indica azaleas grow 6 to 12 feet in height and 6 to 8 feet in width. In this example we want to plant one Indica azalea with a Gumpo azalea on each side. Using the mature spread size for each plant, the plants should be planted no closer than approximately 5 feet 4 inches, (4 + 8 + 4, divided by 3).

References

• Clemson University: Azalea Planting
• Sunset Pathfinder: Macrantha Hybrid Azalea, Gumpo or Satsuki
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Azaleas for North Carollina