# Rhododendron Calendulaceum Seeds
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Plant Identification
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Mature flame azaleas are cold hardy between United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 4 and 7 depending on the cultivar. They generally grow between 4 and 15 feet tall and have a spreading, upright form with multiple stems. The simple, alternate medium- or dark-green leaves are oval-shaped. Young leaves are slightly hairy but become smooth to the touch as they mature. They produce clusters of tubular, orange, reddish-orange or yellow flowers. Small seed capsules follow the blossoms.
Seeds
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Purchase commercial seed, hand pollinate your own plants, collect seeds from your garden or from wild flame azaleas. Flame azalea plants hybridize easily with other azaleas, so the seedlings and mature plants may not resemble the adults. This is especially true from your garden seeds. The miniscule seeds may be difficult to handle. The Native Plant Network recommends processing the seeds by crushing or rubbing the seed capsules through a sieve and mixing the seeds with talc before planting.
Planting
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Start rhododendron calendulaceum seeds indoors during the fall. Germinate them in small trays by sprinkling the talc-and-seed mixture on top of a mixture of four parts horticultural peat, two parts sand and one part perlite with a pH level of 5.0. Press the seeds and talc lightly into the soil's surface. You may need to add about an ounce or two of dolomitic lime per cubic foot of soil to make the soil more acidic. These plants need light to germinate and will not grow if they are buried. Keep the temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees.
Cultivation
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Flame azalea seeds usually germinate between 50 and 90 days after planting. The tiny, fragile seedlings grow slowly and may succumb when they get to the two-leaf stage. Transplant surviving seedlings to 2-inch pots and transplant them as the plants grow. Most young plants mature to gallon-sized containers in about 3 years. They thrive outdoors in a shady location and do best in areas that receive regular rainfall. Mature flame azaleas benefit from an application of acidic fertilizer during the spring to encourage growth.
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