11 Red Azalea Varieties For Bold Garden Color

Looking for some red azaleas to add to your garden? There are many azaleas that bloom with bold red color, so it's important to find the perfect variety for your hardiness zone. In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago examines some of the top red azalea varieties you can grow!

Written by Jill Drago Last updated: October 2, 2023 | 6 min read

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Azaleas are well known and loved for their brightly colored flowers and their ease of care. Many gardeners use azaleas as hedges or borders. But they can also be clustered in small groups throughout the shady areas of your gardens to add a pop of spring color.

While azaleas are well known for their pinks, there are many options for red flowering azaleas. Red is a color that is not often found in spring blooming plants and can add both dimension and contrast to your garden.

If you are looking to add some red to your garden this season, you’ve come to the right place! If you live in the correct hardiness zone, you are sure to find a red azalea that will work for your garden this season! Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in!

‘Amagasa’

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘Amagasa’

Plant Size: 3 feet high and 4 feet wide
Bloom Time: Mid- Late Spring
Plant Zone: 7-10
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

Amagasa is a slow-growing azalea with reddish-orange or coral flowers. The flower petals have dark red spots on them. The foliage is a deep green and will last through the winter.

The compact nature of Amagasa makes it pretty versatile in your yard. Use it as a low hedge, or on its own in a mixed foundation planting. This azalea can get a little leggy so make sure it is getting partial sun so the branches will strengthen up.

‘Autumn Bonfire’

Close-up of a flowering bush incredibly beautiful, bright scarlet numerous flowers semi-double petals, the cores contain from 5 to 10 stamens. The blooms are surrounded by small, ovate, leathery, matte green leaves. The background is very blurry. — This reblooming azalea variety produces true red semi-double or double flowers that bloom from spring until the first frost.

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘Robleza’ PPAF

Plant Size: 3 feet high and 3.5 feet wide
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Plant Zone: 6-10
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Autumn Bonfire’ is a true red flowering shrub. These flowers could be double or semi-double throughout the shrub. This is a quick-growing dwarf azalea variety with a compact growth profile. ‘Autumn Bonfire’s’ foliage is bright green and will last throughout the year.

This is a reblooming azalea variety providing your garden with flowers on and off from spring until the first frost. These varieties that rebloom are called Encore Azaleas.

‘Autumn Bravo’

Close-up of five bright reddish-orange flowers grouped into a ball. Each flower has 5 simple petals and 5 long red stamens sticking out of the centers. The blooms are surrounded by small, ovate, leathery, matte green leaves. In the background, a red flowering shrub blooms with bright green leaves. — Autumn Bravo blooms with red single flowers that can tolerate the sun better than some other azaleas.

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘Conlen’

Plant Size: 4 feet high and 5 feet wide
Bloom Time: Spring through Fall
Plant Zone: 6-10
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Autumn Bravo’ is another evergreen shrub that belongs to the Encore collection of azaleas. With true red flowers that are long-lasting, this is a true winner for anyone’s garden. The flowers are single and reach up to three inches wide.

The Encore azaleas are known to be able to tolerate the sun better than some other azaleas, so ‘Autumn Bravo’ is a great choice if you do not have much shade but would love to try growing azaleas. Plant ‘Autumn Bravo’ in a mass planting for a dramatic effect.

‘Autumn Embers’

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘Conleb’ PP10581

Plant Size: 3 feet high and 4 feet wide
Bloom Time: Early Spring and Fall
Plant Zone: 6-10
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Autumn Embers’ is another Encore member, but with a more compact size. The flowers on ‘Autumn Embers’ are red and doubled with wavy and ruffled edges to the petals. They almost look like roses.

Unlike many azaleas, ‘Autumn Embers’ will bloom in the spring and again in the fall. The flowers that bloom in the fall will last until the first frost. Mix ‘Autumn Embers’ with bright pink azaleas for a fun mix of colors. Use as a low border or in the front of a foundation planting.

‘Autumn Ruby’

Close-up of red flowers in a spring garden. The blooms consist of simple five bright scarlet petals, the cores of which contain from 5 long scarlet stamens. Leaves are almost invisible under the flowers. The leaves are small, ovate, leathery, dull green. The — This azalea blooms with bright scarlet flowers and is great for growing in containers.

Scientific Name: Rhododendron ‘Conler’ PP12110

Plant Size: 2 ½ feet tall and 3 feet wide
Bloom Time: Spring, Fall
Plant Zone: 6-10
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

This Encore azalea is a perfect addition to smaller gardens. ‘Autumn Ruby’ has multiple bloom periods starting in the spring and continuing into the fall like ‘Autumn Embers’. The flowers on ‘Autumn Ruby’ are a glowing bright scarlet red.

This would be a great azalea variety to use in containers on your front porch, or as a small border plant in a smaller city garden. When the frost finally hits and the flowers fade away the emerald green leaves will remain all winter long.

‘Buccaneer’

Close-up of a profusion of bright scarlet flowers in a summer sunny garden. The blooms consist of 5 slightly corrugated petals, the cores of which contain from 5 long red stamens. The leaves are ovate, leathery, dull green, barely noticeable among the abundance of flowers. Floral blurred background. — ‘Buccaneer’ is a red azalea that blooms throughout the summer and fall.

Scientific Name: Azalea ‘Buccaneer’

Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Plant Zone: 6-9
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Buccaneer’ has crimson-colored leaves with dark red freckles on a mid-sized shrub. This red azalea will produce a prolific bloom in the spring, and flowers will bloom again sporadically throughout the summer and fall.

‘Buccaneer’ is a great azalea to use in mass planting anywhere in your garden, but especially along the border of a patio or a walkway. However, it is equally as stunning mixed in with other shrubs or in containers.

‘Darkness’ (Glenn Dale)

Close-up of bright crimson flowers, consisting of 5 petals each with slightly wavy edges, the cores of which contain 5 long crimson stamens. The shrub blooms in part shade. — The large, beautiful, wavy petals of this Azalea are a show-stopping crimson.

Scientific Name: Rhododendron x hybridum Glenn Dale ‘Darkness’

Plant Size: 1- 6 feet tall
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Plant Zone: 6-9
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

The perfect red azalea for the back of your garden is the Glenn Dale ‘Darkness’ variety. ‘Darkness’ will grow to about six feet tall in a nice upright form. The flowers are bright red with dark freckles on the upper petals of the flower.

These are single blooms that will appear on your shrubs anytime from early spring to the middle of spring. If you choose to plant this azalea as a backdrop to your shrub or perennial gardens, try adding perennials that bloom in the early spring so that they will fill in the gap once ‘Darkness’ has stopped blooming.

Image Credit: Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Use Allowed With Attribution

‘Girard’s Crimson’

A close-up of many vibrant pink-red flowers. Each one has 5 simple petals and protruding long stamens. Small, ovoid, glossy, bright green leaves make their way through the blooms. — ‘Girard’s Crimson’ produces pink-red, showy, large flowers and bright green, glossy foliage.

Scientific Name: Azalea x Girard hybrid ‘Girard’s Crimson’

Plant Size: 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Plant Zone: 5-8
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

This variety leans a bit on the pink side, but it is rosy-red when compared to a truer pink. The flowers are single but very large and showy. ‘Girard’s Crimson’ is a variety of azalea that can tolerate a bit more sun, although it will perform best in dappled sunlight.

The foliage is glossy and bright green, giving you wonderful year-long interest in your gardens. It can also serve as a handsome backdrop to perennial gardens or woodland gardens.

‘Hino-crimson’

Top view of a flowering shrub blooming in abundance with bright crimson flowers in a summer garden. The blooms are bright crimson, consisting of 5 petals, the cores of which contain 5 long red stamens. There are also unblown pink buds on the branches. — ‘Hino-crimson’ Azalea produces true crimson flowers and prefers dappled partial shade.

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Hino-Crimson’ (Kurume hybrid)

Plant Size: 2-4 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Plant Zone: 6-9
Plant Type: Semi-Evergreen Shrub

This is an extremely well-loved variety of azalea and for good reason. ‘Hino-crimson’ has truly crimson flowers that bloom very early on in the spring and last throughout the spring. While the flowers may only be single, this azalea blooms so heavily you will not miss the double flowers at all.

This popular shrub loves the dappled shade of a woodland garden. ‘Hino-crimson’ is a wonderful choice for a foundation garden or used in small clusters throughout your wooded borders.

‘Red Ruffles’

Scientific Name: Rhododendron simsii ‘Red Ruffles’

Plant Size: 2-4 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide
Bloom Time: Spring
Plant Zone: 8-9
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub

‘Red Ruffles’ is an excellent azalea for southern climates. The bright pinkish-red glows against its deep green foliage. The flowers on ‘Red Ruffles’ in fact have a ruffled edge to them and are single or semi-double. Either way, the ruffled petals give the flowers a very full, almost doubled appearance to them.

Plant this azalea amongst your tropical foliage plants either in a mass planting, around a patio as a specimen, or as a foundation. ‘Red Ruffles’ is a midsize azalea. Growing to 4 feet, this pretty flowered azalea is a real showstopper no matter how you use it.

‘Red Sunset’

Close-up of the delightfully beautiful bright red flowers with an orange tinge. The blooms are grouped in brushes, consist of 5 oblong textured petals. From the centers of the flowers grow 5 long red stamens. — Red Sunset produces incredibly beautiful bright red flowers with an orange tinge that are perfect for hedges in your garden.

Scientific Name: Azalea x ‘Red Sunset’

Plant Size: 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Plant Zone: 5-8
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub

Just like a sunset, this azalea has bright red flowers with orange undertones. A larger azalea in size, ‘Red Sunset’ would make a great privacy screen or hedge. Just be aware that this azalea will drop its leaves in the winter.

These red flowers are clustered into trusses, which is essentially a grouping of many flowers. It gives a similar appearance to the flowers of a rhododendron plant. ‘Red Sunset’ would be beautiful as a backdrop to your perennial gardens, but it would also make a very eye-catching foundation plant.

Final Thoughts

Remember, azaleas love well-draining soil that remains moist as well as partial shade. As long as you have these conditions in your garden you will be able to successfully grow azaleas. Adding red azalea to your garden will add glowing bright colors to your shaded spaces and containers. There is an azalea for almost every zone, I hope you give one of these a try!

11 Red Azalea Varieties For Bold Garden Color