ptilda, I don't know too much about azaleas, but (and you may already know this) there are a whole series of azaleas called the Northern Lights Azaleas. From what I understand they are pretty well the hardiest.

Here is a link that might be useful: azalea

Call this place. I met the owner at a conifer convention and he is quite knowledgable. I see he carries azaleas.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Edelweiss

Thread is getting a little old - but the Northern Lights series of azaleas are pretty much available at the "real" garden centers and nurseries all over Minnesota, and probably Wisconsin too - not so much at the big boxes though.

Edelweiss up here in Duluth is a terrific place - high end, lots of specialty stock in shrubs, trees, conifers, plants in general etc. etc. But there must be some place closer to you - Rice Lake, if not Spooner. And there's always mail order to start out with a "twig".

The Northern Lights azaleas (and the PJM Rhododendrons, too) do real well up here in zone 4. I've got a yellow one and the one called "Mandarin" in full sun, and two reds in dappled and/or passing shade. They don't seem to need anything special; I don't fertilize, mulch or otherwise protect or provide supplemental water. The PJM Rhododendrons seem to be readily available at Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards, but pretty limited to pink and a more lavender pink. Those do fine in sun or part sun. And both the azaleas and rhododendrons will still set buds after winters with sustained temps of 30-40 below.

Excellent! Thanks for the advice! I am going to try to get something now, so that it can get some roots before freezing starts.

I just read a handout on azaleas from Univ of Minnesota that I found online, and cold hardy varieties they recommended for both Minnesota and Wisconsin include:

Rhododendron x kosterranum (mollis azaleas)
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Northern Lights Series of hybrid azaleas

They also recommended that evergreen rhododendrons tolerate shade better.

Hope this helps!