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Azalea flower not fully opening #750849

Asked May 19, 2021, 11:50 AM EDT

I have 6 white azaleas in my front yard. This year 2 of the oldest did not fully open. I don’t see any bugs or mold. Any suggestions?

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi Sandra,

From your pictures it looks as if the leaves are a healthy green so whatever the problem is, it is not too far along.  I'm guessing that the brown areas in the pictures are the flower buds that did not open, and eventually the buds turned brown.

If that is the case, then the problem could be Ovulinia petal blight which is caused by a fungus.  We had a cold spring so it is also possible that some buds did not open due to the weather.  I'm including a couple of websites that will give you more information on azalea diseases and how to treat them.

 Azalea and Rhododendron Diseases (psu.edu)

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/azalea-care

Thanks for contacting us,

Judy

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 20, 2021, 4:25 PM EDT
Thank you Judy for your response. If you zoom in on the photos you can see the bus are not brown they are white but just not open. I think the brown you are seeing is the house through the branches.

After reading these articles I think it is related to the cold Spring. We did have a heavy frost later April. I think I will mulch and print any dead branches.

Thanks again, this is a wonderful service.

Sandy

Sent from my iPhone

On May 20, 2021, at 4:25 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied May 21, 2021, 6:45 AM EDT

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