Satsuki azalea is a Cultivar Group

Cultivar group

In naming cultivated plants, a Group is a formal classification category, under the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants :The term "Group" was introduced in the 2004 ICNCP, replacing the "Cultivar-group" of the 1995 ICNCP.A Group is united by some common trait; for example...

 of azalea

Azalea

Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...

s extensively cultivated by the Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese. The botanical name is Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...

 indicum. It grows wild in the mountains of Japan.

Description

Satsuki azaleas have a diversity of flower forms and color patterns with multiple patterns often appearing on a single plant. Satsuki bloom from May to June; the name “Satsuki

Satsuki

is a traditional name for 　in Japanese. It is also a common feminine Japanese given name which is rarely used as a surname and boy's name.- Possible writings :Satsuki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:* 五月, "May"* 皐月, "May"...

” in Japanese is reference to their blooming period, the fifth month of the Asian lunar calendar

Lunar calendar

A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...

. They are commonly used as a subject in bonsai

Bonsai

is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...

and many bonsai enthusiasts and shows are dedicated solely to them. There are thousands of different varietys, but some popular ones are chinzan, kaho, gyoten, osakasuki, eikan, nikko, hakurei, hakurin, kinsai, and many more.

Bonsai

Satsuki Azaleas are popular bonsai plants for many reasons. It can take a hard pruning, the flowers are amazing, and they can be developed fast. Since azaleas prefer to be slightly acidic, a popular soil to grow them in is kanuma.

Repotting: is a big stress to any tree, and bare rooting is the biggest stress to a tree. When repotting Satsuki Azaleas, it is better to do it at a certain time. Repotting in early to middle spring is best. Some people say that you should repot after flowering, but this is not the case. Flowering is the second biggest stress to a satsuki. So repotting and flowering in the same year is not a healthy thing to do for a tree. That is why when repotting, do not let the satsuki flower that year. Kanuma is a recommend soil for satsukis. Also, it is popular to put yamagoki moss on top of the soil to keep them moist. This will benefit the many feeder roots of the tree.

External links

• Bonsai Clubs International - Satsuki Azalea