Sounds like that particular azalea requires VERY little cold to allow flower bud growth. Most likely bred for the south (where a "winter" like our fall is the norm) or just happened to be that way due to its parentage. Considering this characteristic, it is also likely that the flower buds would not survive our winter temperatures anyway. My guess is that she will have flowers in the fall or no flowers at all. Leaf buds are always more cold hardy than flower buds, so it is not surprising that the shrub itself winter successfully up here.

I really can't think of anything one can do to significantly delay flower bud break. And if you are able, it is likely it will bloom in a Jan-Feb thaw.

Unless she likes fall flowering (and considering it doesn't seem to hurt the plant, that might be a good thing) my advice is to get an azalea more suited to our climate, and normal growth will happen - normally.

Rick

Thanks, Rick! Sounds like a reasonable explanation... and the correct solution too. I'll pass the information on to her. Thanks!

I do know there are a few REPEAT blooming rhododendron varieties that do double duty and flower both spring and have a light repeat bloom in the fall. I've never really heard of any azaleas doing this though, even though they're the same family. Since she's not getting any spring bloom, it doesn't seem like this is the case. Still if she likes the idea of a little color in the autumn, she could replace that bush with one of those varieties. Those rhododendrons do have a habit of getting pretty good sized, probably bigger than your average azalea. Still, the ones in Centennial Lakes Park in Edina still have a few little purple blooms, and in combo with the red leaves, they're really pretty!

Just an idea, hope your friend has better luck with her next bush!

Thanks, Templeflower! I'll pass on your thoughts too.

There's something odd about the cultivar. I remember seeing ALL of the 'Lemon Lights' azaleas (definitely NOT bred for the south) sold last year blooming in the fall in their pots at various nurseries throughout the area. However, it seemed to be occurring early enough to escape freeze problems - so perhaps your friend needs to relocate that particular plant to a spot that gets more sunlight to coax it into an earlier fall bloom, if that's what it has decided to do.

Stefan

If Lemon Lights (a U of MN release) can bloom in the fall, than Stefan could be right, and Bitterwort's friend's azalea may or may not be of southern origin. I would still say, as Stefan does, that it's all in the genes.

Crossing different species(in this case rhododendrons) can sometimes produce unexpected results. Plant genetics are by no means well understood, and characteristics that neither parent displayed may show up in the offspring. Thus it is not beyond belief that a southern characteristic might show up in hybrids of northern species crosses.

For example, lily breeder David Sims crossed Lilium martargon alba with an asiatic white lily(I forget which) and the F1 hybrid had a color in the tepal(petals) that neither parent had. Sims surmised that the expressed color gene was suppressed by a "blocker gene" in one (or both) parent, and was released when the hybridizing broke that action.

Rick

P.S. In technical terms, all azaleas are rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas. Azalea is a sub grouping of rhododendron.

Thanks, Rick and Stefan! I passed on the information, and my friend is thinking about moving that azalea to a sunnier spot in the spring.

Here, in southwestern CT, 'Lemon Light' is notoriously late to bloom and sometimes I see it blooming as late as end of July-early August.
However, there is an explanation to it.
We use to think of azaleas as a part-shade plants, which is absolutely correct for the z7 and warmer, but all deciduous azaleas are perfectly happy and bloom on-time if planted if full sun, provided that they are watered well.
So, if 'Lemon Light', which by itself is geneticly late bloomer, will be planted in a considerable shade it will bloom very late if at all.

I'm guessing, of course, but I think that my theory is not worse than any.
Your friend's LL is planted "3' or so away from the house" and thanks to that had some buds that survived winter. However, at the same time being planted "on the northeast corner of her house" it doesn't receive enough sun to let those buds fully develops into flowers on time. Only by the end of the season those buds become mature enough to open.
At the same time, due to the same light factor, new buds (for the next year bloom) don't have a chance to grow properly/fully during their first growing season and will spend most part of the next year to reach blooming size. Circle is closed.
My suggestion, give it a lot of sun and water and you'll enjoy this beautiful plant.

It is interesting how much fall bloom shows up on otherwise spring blooming plants. Preston hybrid lilacs, dw. Korean lilac, Forsythia x intermedia, Exochorda 'the bride', Chaenomeles spp., Kerria japonica, Malus, Deutzia ningpoense, Magnolia 'Merrill', Azaleas and Rhododendrons(already mentioned)etc etc. By the way has anyone ever tried or seen Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' in zone 4 ?