Landscapers Butchering Azaleas

Azaleas aren’t supposed to be pruned like regular shrubs. Pruning them at the wrong time of year cuts off the flower buds before they can bloom. The result is ugly slashes of green mixed with random patches of flowers.

Local landscapers do not seem to understand this. It’s been happening for years with increasing frequency, but this year it seems like there are more butchered than unbutchered azaleas around town.

Azaleas can be gorgeous, but it’s sad seeing so many that are pruned incorrectly—especially in the home of the Azalea Festival!

/rant

in Wilmingtonby stewartinternational

89%

2mo

stewartinternational

2mo

Azalea pruning info, per NCSU: Light pruning March-April (12 inches or less) after flowering but not after July 10th (Early spring and autumn pruning removes next year’s blossoms).

Bnastyt12345

2mo

I’ve seen hack jobs a lot worse than this especially ones done by homeowners. The Formosa azaleas pictured would get a lot larger than this if they let them go, so they trim them substantially in the fall for size control.

You can prune a plant whenever it is convenient if you’re willing to sacrifice blooms, and that’s what they did. At least the shrub is dense without airspace underneath exposing the leggy branching, because that’s when it actually looks bad. This does not look that bad as a nurseryman myself.

Dominick555

2mo

Just say no to Crape Murder. So sad

biggsteve81

2mo

When are you supposed to prune Encore azaleas?

stewartinternational

2mo

Right after they are done blooming.

Emotional_Employ_507

-1

2mo

Two times a year!

Emotional_Employ_507

2mo

Every downvote on this comment is someone that doesn’t understand what the term “encore” in Encore Azalea means.

DopeAFjknotreally

2mo

Is this Greenfield Park?

stewartinternational

2mo

The photo is from a church on Murrayville road, but it definitely looks like a lot of azaleas in the area.

Emotional_Employ_507

2mo

I wasn’t the only one that thought this then. Glad I’m not crazy.

Consistent-Target632

2mo

just go look at long leaf park not an azalea in sight really yanks really?

creedskiiceice

2mo

Box Azaleas?

malchjrc

2mo

Riding around town, they are mostly off the bloom, so pruning is appropriate .

stewartinternational

2mo

The issue is pruning that took place last fall or this spring, which was not appropriate and results in the missing blooms.

Positive_Motor5644

1mo

I prune about two weeks after the blooms fade. I always have a good showing of flowers. I'm going to prune super hard this year and take two bushes down by half.... We'll see how it turns out.

AstroGatsby89

2mo

Omg talk about a massacre! I love azaleas and this makes me so sad.

TheJeffAllmighty

-7

2mo

I fixed this by ripping them out of my yard, they are ugly and everyone has them.

Rad_Since_91

2mo

Getting a lot of hate, but I agree. Azaleas are beautiful during bloom, but other than that, they’re kind of ugly. Had some planted up against my house and they were just getting too big so I pulled them out.

TheJeffAllmighty

2mo

People really care about their ugly bushes, it most be a form of Stockholm syndrome.

The worst about them is after they have had a perfect bloom and all of the flowers start turning brown and ugly. Why have a bush that looks good for a week out of the year.

There are much better options.

Also I'm born and raised here, and could give zero fucks about the azalea festival.

Emotional_Employ_507

2mo

If this is at a church and that much was cut off the plant. It clearly was overgrown and had not been pruned for years. As unfortunate as it is to believe, sometimes when you want to take ten steps forward, you must take a few steps back.

stewartinternational

2mo

They are regularly pruned and squared off at the size in the photo every few months throughout the warm seasons.

Emotional_Employ_507

2mo

Yiiiiiiiiiiikes. It is very apparent that cultural practices need some addressing over pruning local plants. Public education is something I’m trying to advance in the area long term but it seems CFCC and their program are tougher to collaborate with than one would expect.

Emotional_Employ_507

-9

2mo

You do realize that’s government maintained and like anything else the government does. They do it by a schedule not how the plants feel.

They would have to pay more for someone to care.

My azaleas (my customers) have never bloomed better as should every azalea year over year with the right knowledge.

stewartinternational

2mo

Government doesn’t maintain private property… the example image is from a church. Most of the incorrectly pruned azaleas that I’m referring to are maintained by private landscaping contractors on private property.

Emotional_Employ_507

2mo

My apologies for mistaking these for those I’ve seen around Greenfield lake. Regardless, the same rule applies. Most people don’t know or care enough to not chop them until after they bloom and when a customer pays you to do something are you going to refuse the money just to give free virtue? I only do this for Crape Myrtle pruning.

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