Az. 'Purple Kurume'

 One of our favorite small leaf/small flower evergreen azaleas with a delightful purple color. Dense, upright, evergreen shrub with small, 1/4 inch long, elliptic, glossy, olive green leaves. The Kurume are prized for showy clusters of small, profuse early to midspring flowers, 1 to 3 per truss, which literally cover the plant. Best adapted to partial sun. The Kurume hybrid azaleas of Japan owe their parentage to several species of mountain azaleas, predominantly R. sataense with R. kiusianum. It is easy to see the influence of Az. kiusianum in this plant being twiggy, but heavy flowering. Prune immediately after flowering so you won’t cut off any of next year’s flower buds.  Also it is interesting to note that the Kurume hybrids are prized for bonsai culture. Easy and long lived once established. Beautiful when planted in generous, solid-colored drifts along the edge of woods. Hardy to zone 7.