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Azalea Changing Color?

20 years ago

Can Azaleas change color? Last spring I planted 2 white gumbo, 3 pink and white encores and two red azaleas.

This spring one of the ones I could swear was white last year is pink/white, but its leaves and shape are completely different than the pink/white Encores.

Either I'm insane or senile (entirely possible) or the white one changed color to pink.

Also, one of the pink/white Encores has a few very dark pink flowers.

Has anyone ever observed this type of color change?

Comments (16)

  • 20 years ago

    Well, we had 2 different color roses on the same bush this spring, but I think I figured it out. I missed pruning a sport from below (is that what it's called? not a rosarian) & it was sending up roses from the original rootstock. That's my theory, anyway.

  • 20 years ago

    The rose I can see. The 'sucker' is from the root stock, which is grafted to the flower stock.

  • 20 years ago

    they don't change colors completely from one season to the next but can branch-sport with different colors or get flecks/stripes of darker colors in the individual flowers. gumpo white often has flowers with flecks and stripes of dark pink to red in them.
    my 'george l. taber' occasionally throws out a solid purple-flowered branch. if i recall, that is where it originated -as a sport of purple formosa or similar.
    of the encores, 'autumn twist' will occasionally have two different solid colors of flowers as well as those with flecks.

  • 20 years ago

    Jeff,
    That 'sporting' is really common on the Geo. L.Taber - it was very common to find branches sporting solid purple blooms, or even some that were predominantly the normal pink with purple stripes, or one purple petal, etc. Mrs. G.G.Gerbering is, if I recall correctly, a white sport of GLT.
    I've lost track of the historical info, but I was always under the impression that Formosa was a sport of Pride of Mobile(or maybe it was the other way around).

  • 20 years ago

    hi lucky,
    yes, i knew i had seen this question before on gardenweb and found an old post about the cultivars mentioned above.
    mrs. g is a white sport of taber and taber is a sport of a purple, not unlike formosa, called 'omurasaki'.
    the post is linked below.
    interesting how this happens to give us some beautiful new varieties. one reference i read claims that the sporting is the result of bud damage on the original plant.

    Here is a link that might be useful: azalea sports

  • 20 years ago

    The picture in that link looks exactly like my azalea, before and after.

    Thanks for all the help. I think I'll just go out and get another white azalea, just for balance.

  • 7 years ago

    My azalea changed colour too, last year I had one white azalea and one purple azalea,this year the white one is wearing Pink. Last year the buds were white and the Blooms were also white. This year the buds started out a dark pink and as the blooms open they turn a lighter pink, and when they fully open they are a pale pink. it’ll be interesting to see if the purple one stays purple


  • 6 years ago

    We may have the same, Aututmn Twists. But some of the plants are mixes, and some are all purple. This might help explain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejS3oYJapcg

  • 5 years ago

    I have one that is light pink with dark pink flowers mixed in this year. One flower got confused and is half and half!


  • 5 years ago

    I had dark pink mixed in this year with my light pink. One flower got confused and is half and half.


  • 4 years ago

    My white one also flowered pink this year!

  • 4 years ago

    Azaleas changing colors... I'm so glad I found this set of comments, gets me a few clues. My white azalea bush came with the house and according to the neighbors is at minimum 15 years old. All blooms pure white for 3 years but this year one blossom is sporting a dark pink stripe.

  • 4 years ago

    Pretty. i had quite a few dark pink mixed in with my light pink bush this year. a few half and half as well.


  • 2 years ago

    I was given a white azalea as a gift by my granddaughter. last season, this season it is a pink. not a pink person. i had the same trouble with a hydrangea & was told sulphur would fix it. Going to give it a go on the azalea

  • 2 years ago

    I’ve had a white azalea for more than 10 yes and this year it’s blooming pale pink!

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