11 Pink Azalea Varieties That Will Liven Up Your Garden

Are you looking to add some pink spring color to your garden? Does the thought just fill your heart with happiness and hope of the spring and all it has to offer us? Pink is a popular color for flowers, and there are many options to choose from. But there is one option that works perfectly in zones 7-9, in particular.

Azaleas come in a rainbow of colors but are most popular for their pink shades. Some of the flowers are single or double, while some of them have splotches of white or darker pinks throughout the petals. There are even some options that bloom twice in a season, giving an encore of bright color!

There are countless pink azalea varieties for you to try. Here I have put together a list of 11 pink azaleas that I think will be a great fit for your garden. Let’s dig into these pink varieties of azalea to add to your garden!

‘Autumn Moon’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Shugetsu’

• Height: 3 feet
• Bloom Time: Late Spring
• Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Sun
• Plant Zone: 7-9
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Autumn Moon’ has bright pinkish-purple flowers with white throats that will become more profound as the shrub matures. Hardy in zones 7-9, this azalea is a great choice for warmer climates.

The petals are rounded on the edges, giving the flowers a soft appearance. Use Autumn Moon in containers or in a border garden. ‘Autumn Moon’ is a Satsuki hybrid azalea that is a popular choice for bonsai.

These types of azaleas can handle a bit more sun than others, but do not plant in full sun. Keep it in partial or filtered sunlight to avoid any burning or drying out of the roots or leaves.

‘Canzonetta’

Scientific Name: Azalea japonica ‘Canzonetta’

• Height: 12 inches
• Bloom Time: Late May
• Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
• Plant Zone: 6-9
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

The flowers on ‘Canzonetta’ are semi-double, reddish-pink, and teacup shaped. The bright colored flowers make this azalea a great choice for a showy accent to any of your shaded garden areas, including large containers.

The leaves on ‘Canzonetta’ are evergreen, lasting all through the winter, and will not leave any gaps in your landscape. They grow low to the ground, only about a foot high, making them an excellent and beautiful ground cover.

‘Double Shot Watermelon®’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘RLH1-9P7’

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Bloom Time: Spring and Late Summer
• Sun Exposure: Full Shade to Partial Sun
• Plant Zone: 6-9
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

A beautiful double flower as well as a reblooming azalea? ‘Double Shot Watermelon®’ is a perfect pink option for your garden if you are looking for a smaller shrub with a big impact. The flowers themselves are bright pink, with a deep pink throat.

This azalea is a hardy and prolific bloomer, but its foliage is elegant and sets a perfect backdrop for the flowers, and remains thick and lush after the flowers pass. Try using ‘Double Shot Watermelon®’ in a container, or as a smaller border plant and enjoy the stunning flowers for most of the summer.

‘Electric Lights™’

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘UMNAZ 493’

• Height: 6-7 feet
• Bloom Time: Early Spring
• Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
• Plant Zone: 4-7
• Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub

This is another double flower option for your garden. The difference here is the size of the azalea. Electric Lights™ is a large variety of azalea, growing up to 7 feet. Because of this height, it would make a very nice statement plant in your garden.

The double flowers are a light pink color with an orange or yellow throat and are very fragrant. Plant Electric Lights™ in full sun to partial shade.

‘Getsutoku’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Getsutoku’

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Bloom Time: Early- Mid June
• Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

This azalea is technically white, but the irregular splotches of salmony pink are too good to leave off of this list. ‘Getsutoku’ would make a great addition to your azalea garden because it is a late bloomer and will extend the bloom time of your garden.

The dwarf size of ‘Getsutoku’ makes it a very versatile plant. Try planting this variety in containers, or in a woodlands edge garden for a pop of pretty color. ‘Getsutoku’ is another Satsuki azalea, meaning it can tolerate a little bit more sunlight than some of the other azaleas that you are accustomed to.

‘Gumpo Pink’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Gumpo Pink’

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Bloom Time: Early Summer
• Sun Exposure: Partial Sun to Full Sun
• Plant Zone: 6-8
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Gumpo Pink’ is a showy variety. The shade is pure pink with a light pink or white throat. The edges of the petals are frilly, giving a very full and abundant feel to the shrub.

Plant this azalea in an area that gets partial sun. Perhaps in an area with other evergreens such as junipers, to accent the lush foliage with the bright flowers. This is a dwarf azalea, and would also be a great option used in a container or on the front border of a garden.

‘Holland’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Holland’

• Height: 2-4 feet
• Bloom time: June
• Sun Exposure: Partial Sun
• Plant Zone: 6-9
• Plant Type: Semi-Evergreen Shrub

‘Holland’ offers a true pink hue to your garden that is unmatchable. These shrubs are moderate in size and they are well used in your gardens planted in a mass as either a hedge or a screen. ‘Holland’ would even work really well in a larger container.

Keep this variety of azalea in partial sun, and don’t forget to keep an eye on the moisture level of the soil! The leaves on ‘Holland’ are semi-evergreen, meaning in warmer climates the leaves will remain on the shrub, but in cooler climates, the leaves will not make it through the winter months.

‘Imperial Queen™’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Monal’

• Height: 4-6 feet
• Bloom Time: Spring
• Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
• Plant Zone: 8-11
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

This variety of azalea has light pink, double flowers. There are darker pink freckles in the throat of the flower. Another warm weather azalea, ‘Imperial Queen’ is tolerant of full sun.

Be sure that you do not forget to water it. Azaleas are shallow-rooted shrubs and while the extra sun is great for the plant, it may cause the roots to dry out a bit quicker. Use ‘Imperial Queen’ as a hedge due to its spreading habit, or plant this pretty variety along the front of your home as a foundation hedge.

‘Pink Ruffles’

Scientific Name: Azalea ‘Pink Ruffles’

• Height: 2-4 feet
• Bloom Time: Early Spring
• Sun Exposure: Partial to Mostly Shade
• Plant Zone: 7-10
• Plant Type: Evergreen

‘Pink Ruffles’ boasts bright flowers nestled on top of some beautiful medium green foliage. The flowers bloom profusely in the spring, but they are known to bloom again in the autumn months. However, the blooms will not be as lush the second time around.

This azalea is known for its unique ruffled edges along the petals. This gives the flowers a dignified aesthetic. The foliage emerges as a light green but then matures into a darker color. ‘Pink Ruffles’ look great when planted as a border or hedge.

‘Rosebud’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Rosebud’

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Bloom Time: Mid-Spring
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Sun
• Plant Zone: 6-9
• Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

This azalea has double flowers that very closely resemble the flowers of roses. The pink color of ‘rosebud’ is a clear and true pink, with a slightly darker throat. This variety is slow growing and will be low maintenance and easy to keep in good shape for years to come.

Plant this pretty azalea along a walkway, or on the front border of a foundation or woodland garden so you don’t miss a moment of these blossoms. These densely-growing blossoms will attract pollinators, especially hummingbirds, butterflies, and other birds.

‘Sunset Pink’

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Sunset Pink’

• Height: 6-8 feet
• Bloom Time: May or June
• Plant Zone: 5-8
• Deciduous

‘Sunset Pink’ has clusters, or trusses, of light flowers with either a yellow or an orange blotch on the petals. This larger azalea has a nice mounded form and would make a very nice pink flowering shrub. 

‘Sunset Pink’ is a hardy azalea, performing very well in zone 5. This variety is deciduous, meaning that it will lose leaves once the temperatures drop. Do not be alarmed if you see this happening, they will return in the spring along with some new flower buds!