Q. Is it possible to grow azaleas in the Mojave Desert? We want to get more color in our yard and
having lived in the east for many years we know that azaleas add an abundance
color in the spring. I have terrible soil so I know I would need to drastically
amend the soil. Suggestions or comments?
A. You can grow any plant in the Mojave Desert including
azaleas. It’s a matter of how much you want them because plants that don’t
belong here, like azaleas, cost more to maintain. These non-desert plants
struggle in our climate and force you to take care of them if you want them to
succeed. My second point is that your “sense of place” has never changed. You
are still thinking like an Easterner. You live in the Mojave Desert now. It’s
time to adjust.
Sense of Place
Your
sense of place relates to where you think of as home. I remember moving from
the Midwest to the dry Western states many years ago and missing all the
“greenery”. After adjusting to this new “home” I found all of the “greenery”
hurting my eyes on return visits. It was just too green. After an adjustment
period, my new sense of home was the dry Western United States, the different
shades of brown, pink, purple and yellow I saw in rock. Plants were found
sparingly.
Desert Color
Before I
tell you how to grow an azalea here, consider desert perennials that grow easily
in the desert and add color. They are easier to grow, require less frequent
watering and still provide a great deal of seasonal color. I am talking about colorful plants such as penstemon, sage,
salvia, and others. Many of these desert or desert adapted perennials provide a
great deal of color at different times of the year and most like lots of
sunlight!
Some websites to visit on small plants for color:
 |
| Red Penstemon |
A good
place to look for these plants is online before you go shopping. Get familiar
with these names of desert perennials because it can get confusing at the
nursery. Try looking online at the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)
searchable database of plants and Arizona’s AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water
Users Association) database. Become familiar with their recommended plant lists
and the plants they recommend. Once you do that, then it’s time to go shopping!
Growing Azaleas
Now to
your azaleas. Azaleas are considered an ericaceous plant. This means
they prefer acidic soils, not alkaline desert soils. Prepare to add a chemical
amendment to the soil to acidify it such as aluminum sulfate. Aluminum sulfate
is much more powerful in its soil acidification properties than soil sulfur.
You will probably need to add it to the soil once or twice a year to adjust the
alkalinity. One of the ways that azaleas tell you there is a soil problem is by
its yellowing leaves or a brown “scorchy”
edge.
By the way, if you end up using sulfur to lower soil alkalinity, make sure it is a fine sulfur
powder and not sulfur granules, sometimes called soil sulfur. The sulfur powder
reacts much faster with warm, wet soil than soil sulfur as granules.
Try Brooks Hybrid Azaleas (red and white) developed in the Modesto area for the hotter drier climates. Another possibility are the Indica Hybrid Azaleas which are supposed to be more tolerant of sunlight.
Azaleas also
like lots of woody debris, leaf litter and organic soils. So, using compost as
a soil amendment and covering the soil with woodchips will be a good first step.
Select a cool microclimate in the landscape that is shady but still bright.
Azaleas NEVER like intense sunlight. North exposure or early morning sunlight with
shade the rest of the day might be a good choice. Filtered light is preferred,
never direct sunlight. Under the shade of a tree but lots of reflected light is
a good spot.
Stay
away from planting azaleas that were gifts in pots. These are “greenhouse
azaleas” and not a good choice for our landscapes in most cases.
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