Azalea 'Golden Lights' is a deciduous cold hardy azalea that produces abundant golden orange blooms in late spring. Its excellent flower bud hardiness and vivid fall foliage make it ideal for colder climates needing a reliable bold flowering shrub.
Height & Spread: 3 - 4 ft x 3 - 4 ft
Bloom Time: Late spring
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Preference: Moist, acidic, well drained soil enriched with organic matter
Watering Needs: Moderate; avoid drought and waterlogged roots
Deer Resistance: Occasionally browsed by deer
Native Status
This cultivar is derived from hybrid crosses with native azalea species, including Rhododendron calendulaceum and others. It is considered a native friendly selection for temperate gardens.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Bees
- Supports native bees and bumblebees with its open, tubular flowers in late spring.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations
- Space 3 - 4 ft apart to allow for bushy even coverage in mixed beds or groupings.
Landscape Placement
- Best in woodland edges, acid beds, or grouped with other deciduous azaleas for a multi color spring show. Also used in shrub borders and native-friendly gardens.
Companion Plants
- Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel) - Offers evergreen structure and complementary bloom time.
- Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) - Adds fragrance and blooms later in the season for succession.
- Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry) - Shares soil preferences and attracts pollinators and birds.
- Aruncus dioicus (Goats Beard) - Adds white plumes and thrives in part shade alongside azaleas.
- Fern species (Dryopteris) - Offer texture and underplanting coverage in dappled light areas.