King’s Red Exbury Azalea

King's Red Exbury Azalea Reigns With Fiery Spring Blooms

The King's Red Exbury Azalea (Rhododendron x 'King's Red') is a jaw-dropping, deciduous Azalea hybrid known for its bold, blazing red flowers that light up the spring garden like royalty returning to court! This early bloomer erupts in vivid clusters of trumpet-shaped, fragrant blossoms before the foliage has fully unfurled—making its floral display even more dramatic! The pollinators will be showing up to court in droves!

Bred from the famous Exbury hybrids developed in England, this beauty is prized for its larger-than-life flowers, reliable bloom power, and old-world charm. Reaching about 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, King's Red has a rounded, mounded form with open branching and seasonally shifting foliage!

Its long, narrow, and pointed (lanceolate) green leaves turn golden or bronzy in autumn before dropping. Though leafless in winter, this shrub makes up for it with a spring spectacle that's anything but modest!

Key Features

• Large, fiery-red, trumpet-shaped blooms in spring
• Fragrant flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies
• Grows 4-6 feet tall and wide with a mounded shape
• Flowering shrub with attractive fall foliage
• Hardy in USDA zones 5-9
• Part of the Exbury hybrid group, known for vigor and bloom size

Landscaping Uses

This upright deciduous shrub reaches about 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, ideal for adding bold seasonal color to shady or woodland garden areas. King's Red can be nestled into understory gardens or foundation plantings or used as a bold specimen. As a member of the Rhododendron family, it shares lineage with other showy Azaleas and Rhododendrons that dazzle from spring to fall.

• Woodland borders or shady foundations
• Mass plantings for dramatic spring color
• Understory planting beneath taller trees
• Accent in a Cottage Garden
• Container specimen (with acidic potting mix)
• Pollinator gardens to attract hummingbirds and bees

Care and Maintenance

King's Red is a deciduous woody shrub with a love of slightly acidic soils and some shelter from harsh afternoon sun. It benefits from thoughtful pruning just after flowering to maintain its shape.

Exbury Azaleas are beloved for their resilience and adaptability, and King's Red is no exception. Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, it thrives in partial shade to dappled sun and handles humid southern summers with grace. Though it appreciates moist, well-drained soil, it tolerates cooler northern climes

• Planting Time: Best in early spring or fall
• Sun Needs: Morning sun or partial shade; avoid hot afternoon sun
• Soil Needs: Rich, acidic, well-drained soil; dislikes alkaline or heavy clay
• Moisture Needs: Consistent moisture; mulch helps retain soil hydration
• Arborist Mulch: A 3-4 inch layer of bark mulch is highly beneficial for Azaleas with their shallow roots and a layer of compost improves soil health and moisture retention.
• Fertilization Needs: Acid-loving plant food in early spring after flowering
• Pruning Info: Prune immediately after bloom; blooms on old wood
• Renewal Pruning: Every few years to rejuvenate older stems
• Special Perks/Growing Tips:
• Protect from strong winds and winter sunscald in colder zones
• Deer resistant

A Regal Red Bloom Fit for a King

If you're after a showstopper that bursts into bloom before most of the garden has even yawned awake, King's Red Exbury Azalea is your fiery herald of spring. With flower clusters that resemble glowing torches and a noble growth habit, this shrub brings majesty and joy wherever it's planted.

Order now at Nature Hills Nursery and we'll deliver to your doorstep at the proper planting time for your growing zone.