Japanese Kurume Hybrid Azalea 'Apple Blossom' 1 Gallon Pre-Bonsai Tree

Plant Attributes

Common Name: Japanese Kurume Hybrid Azalea 'Apple Blossom'
Botanical Name: Rhododendron 'Apple Blossom' (formerly known as R. obtusum 'Apple Blossom')
Other Names: Rhododendron 'Ho-o' or Rhododendron 'Wilson 9'
Plant Type: Evergreen
Growth Type: Broad Spreading Upright Shrub
Growth Speed: Slow (About 2 - 3 Inches Per Year)
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 - 9 [ Help! How do I find out my USDA zone? ]
Bonsai Difficulty: Medium
Maintenance Level: Low (if grown in a moist acidic soil environment to stay healthy) 

Plant Size

Pot Size: 1 Gallon Pot / #1
Estimated Age: About 3 - 5 Years
Estimated Height: About 7 - 9 Inches
Estimated Width: About 6 - 9 Inches
Estimated Trunk Size: About 1/4 to 1/2 Inch
Trunk Note: Depending on the tree you receive, they will probably have a single trunk. But sometimes, you may receive a multi-trunk one.

Plant Growth Conditions

Sun Exposure: Half Sun to One-Quarter Sun / Full Shade
Soil Type: Loamy or Sandy
Soil Drainage: Moist But Well Draining (Please Use Bonsai Soil Mix)
Soil pH: Acidic to Slightly Acidic (Azaleas NEED low pH soil to survive!)
Watering: Azaleas don't enjoy being soaking wet all the time. An infrequent deep soaking is more effective than a superficial sprinkling every day. Please thoroughly water their roots and soil inside the pot to fully saturate the soil to help keep it moist but not soggy. They don't enjoy dry soil or lime. In hard-water areas, it becomes essential to water them with rainwater or filtered water only to avoid lime deposits building up in the soil.
Fertilizing: They do well if given some fertilizer periodically. Fertilize in late winter or early spring by the last week of March to help with blooms. Acidifying fertilizers are a good choice where soils are neutral or alkaline.
Pruning & Wiring Tips: Prune after flowering so you don't accidentally cut off any future blooms!
Common Concerns: As needed, a fungicidal spray in spring as the buds show color will control “petal blight,” a fungal disease that appears as discolored dots on the petals and quickly discolors and collapses the blossoms.
Special Care Notes: Azaleas usually flourish in partial shade in most regions with a few hours of morning sun. The precious flowers don't wilt if a spring day becomes too hot. Azaleas may respond well to full sun in colder climates, while bonsai enthusiasts in warmer climates should give their azaleas more shade.

Plant Characteristics

Flowering: Yes
Fruiting: No
Leaves / Foliage: Small Shiny Ovate Elliptical Leaves with Colors That Range from Forest Green to Sap Green
Bark: Matte Sepia Brown with Minor Thin Crackling On Trunk
Propagation: Yes, you can get some hardwood cuttings in late summer.
Air Layering: Yes, it's a good air layering candidate.
Unique Trait: Azaleas are TOXIC to Cats, Dogs, and Horses, so they are not recommended for pet owners! If you own pets and wish to grow Azaleas, please take strong caution and keep them in a protected area far away from your pets.

Flower Attributes

Average Flower Size: About 1.0 to 1.25 Inches Diameter
Simple Color Category: Light Pink
Detailed Color Description: Punch Pink Tips on Lavender Blush White, Hot Pink Dots and Dashes in the Center
Petal Type: Single Hose
Stamen Color: White with Either Light Brown or Light Green Tips
Flowering Time: Early Spring to Mid Spring
Flowers Last For: Up to 1 - 2 weeks
Average Bud Amount on Branch Tips: About 2 - 3 Buds
Special Remarks: Varied blushes of light pink all over!

Japanese Kurume Hybrid Azalea varieties are prized as bonsai material since they are easy to develop branch ramification with. Most of them have compact growth and have high bloom yields. Their blooms can be either a single or hose-in-hose flower type. 

'Apple Blossom' is definitely in the "Top Five List of Most Purchased Azalea Variants" in House of Bonsai's history of carrying them in stock! It's an adorable light pink choice for those who want to see small but abundant blooms for small-sized flowering bonsai. It can tolerate a bit more sunlight than other Azalea varieties, which is beneficial for those who live in warmer regions or wish to keep it in a slightly sunnier location outdoors. 

Please note that depending on what time of year it is and what the recent weather has been like at House of Bonsai (located in Lakewood, CA 90713), this may or may not have any flowers. We can not guarantee that it will have flowers by the time you need to purchase it to be used as a quick gift for yourself or someone you care about due to seasonal behavior changes.

>>> 1 Gallon Pot Sized Pre-Bonsai Tree Shipping & Handling = $20.00

PLEASE NOTE ABOUT PLANT IMAGES:

The characteristics of the plant used to make a particular bonsai product vary slightly from the plant used in any examples or product photography due to the inherent characteristics of plants being a natural material. We can not control or guarantee the EXACT look of any plant you may receive in your order. If you wish to select your own, please come in person to visit our 5-acre nursery during regular business hours. Due to our limited staff and high bonsai production schedule year-round, we cannot accommodate requests by direct email, eBay messages, calls, or texts to receive fresh photos and videos of plants or to select the exact one you want to receive.

House of Bonsai is located within the 2023 USDA Hardiness Zone 10a area, with Average Annual Extreme Minimum Temperatures ranging from 30 to 35 (F) / -1.1 to 1.7 (C). On average, our bonsai trees enjoy warm temperatures and temperate weather all year round. Depending on your zip code's temperature and weather forecast when placing an order, we may delay shipping out your live plant order to diminish plant shock during transit. Please be mindful of where you live compared to where your tree is coming from by giving it several weeks to adjust to its new environmental conditions.

Please Be Aware About Our Live Plant Shipping & Handling Policy:

Due to the fragile and perishable nature of live plants, we reserve orders to be fulfilled on the following Monday to try to have the shipping carrier (such as USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.) deliver your order by the end of the same week that your order is shipped out. We carefully prep and pack your tree(s) to better survive the transit journey to your preferred destination. Sometimes, the packages may sustain drops or get knocked around. We have over 20 years of shipping experience and use high-quality shipping materials. We don't include the price of shipping & handling costs in the product price. For simplicity, our online prices are the same as those in-store. Due to the higher costs of using high-quality shipping materials and knowledgeable handling, our shipping rates are the actual cost to safely get your order into your hands. If you order multiple items, we will do our best to combine as many into the same shipping box. If there's any unused shipping money, we will gladly fit a helpful bonsai-related item into your package that's equivalent to the leftover money. If you want to avoid this kind of service and wish to receive a partial refund on the unused shipping money, please email us at houseofbonsai@gmail.com so that our staff knows to do so once the shipping label is created. Otherwise, please visit us in person during regular business hours listed on our home page to avoid shipping costs altogether. Our staff will gladly assist in loading your items into your vehicle after purchase as a complimentary service in our front parking lot by the Stone Lantern Fenced Area.