A University of Minnesota production - another in their ‘Northern Lights’ series of floriferous and bone-chillingly cold-hardy azaleas all of which have at least one native species of azalea in their parentage.
Ruffled bright red orange flowers with a light fragrance.
It’s very floriferous, with an upright rounded habit.
Best grown in acidic, light, sandy, well-drained soils in part shade.
Tolerates well-drained humusy loams.
Prefers a sun dappled shade or high open part shade.
Foliage may scorch in full sun.
Acidify soils prior to planting and thereafter as needed.
Shallow, fibrous root systems (do not cultivate around shrubs).
will benefit from a good mulch (wood chips, bark or pine needles) for retention of moisture, stabilization of soil temperatures and winter protection.
Consistent moisture is best, but soils must drain well (doesn’t like ‘wet feet’).
Poor drainage inevitably leads to root rot, therefore raised beds/plantings should be considered in heavy clay soils.
Roots must never be allowed to dry out.
Clip off spent flower clusters immediately after bloom as practicable.
Mandarin Lights Azalea is bathed in stunning clusters of lightly-scented tomato-orange trumpet-shaped flowers with a orange flare at the ends of the branches in mid spring before the leaves.
It has green deciduous foliage.
Mandarin Lights Azalea is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers.
Mandarin Lights Azalea will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet.
It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade.
It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water.
It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils.
It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location.
Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates.
Few spring-blooming shrubs deliver color with the uninhibited intensity that 'Mandarin Lights' brings to the northern garden.
The flowers - ruffled, tubular, and blazing in true mandarin orange with reddish overtones - arrive in April and May in full clusters of up to 12 blooms per truss, erupting from bare stems well before the foliage emerges.
That naked-stem flowering moment is one of the most dramatic effects a deciduous azalea can produce, the vivid color registering against the still-spare landscape of early spring with particular force.
The blooms carry a light, pleasant fragrance that attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making 'Mandarin Lights' not just visually compelling but ecologically productive at the very moment when early pollinators are searching for food sources.
'Mandarin Lights' grows as an upright, rounded deciduous shrub reaching 4-5 feet tall and wide in Zones 3-7, a cold hardiness that makes it one of the few azaleas capable of reliable bloom in the upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and other regions where conventional azaleas fail outright.
It performs best in partial shade - dappled light or morning sun with afternoon shade - in consistently moist, well-drained, acidic soil in the pH range of 4.5-6.0, with a generous layer of organic mulch maintained over its shallow root system to buffer soil temperatures and retain moisture.
Full sun is tolerated in cooler climates but can stress the plant during heat events; good air circulation supports overall foliage health.
