Azalea 'Hilda Niblett'

'Hilda Niblett' is a truly beautiful, one-of-a-kind shrub. Although it is quite low-growing, it has the full-size 4-inch flower trusses of much larger Azaleas. And the shape of its mounding, spreading habit may remind you of a turtle!

Winner of several awards, 'Hilda Niblett' is a classic variety that gardeners have loved for many years. It is evergreen, with fresh bright green foliage that carpets the garden floor in color year-round. Part of a legacy series called the Robinhill Azaleas, it has stood the test of time beautifully.

Of course, the main attraction is the highly unusual peach-and-white flowers. Bearing shades of pink and red as well, these blooms look single-colored from a distance, before revealing all their unique colors and shades. There's no other Azalea like 'Hilda Niblett' in the garden!

Expect this shade-loving shrub to reach no more than a foot high, and to spread 3 to 4 feet wide. It makes the perfect underplanting to spring-blooming trees, roses, and just about any planting of shrubs and perennials. The blooms begin in early spring in most climates -- a bit ahead of most other Azaleas -- and last dependably into the first weeks of summer. That's a very lengthy season for any Rhododendron (Azaleas are a type of Rhododendron), and is very welcome during spring, when few groundcovers are at their best.

Give 'Hilda Niblett' partial shade, loose and well-worked soil, and plenty of privacy. This is not a shrub that appreciates you digging around it, because its roots are very shallow. Other than that, it is trouble-free, even in less-than-perfect soils. Expect flowers beginning the very first spring, and for decades to come! Zones 6 to 9.