Azalea sudden death

I came home this evening to a dying azalea. This is very sudden. It sits between its parents, both of which are very healthy--at least for now. These azaleas are at least 30 years old, probably more, and have always been healthy. The one who is in trouble was taken from one of the older azaleas and is 6 years old. Any ideas as to what causes such a sudden change? I should add that the azaleas were fertilized about 4 weeks ago and have been watered regularly.

This message was edited Apr 18, 2026 8:32 PM

With only one (the youngest) azalea affected, it's a bit of a mystery. Your older azaleas are at a ripe old age and decline might be expected if were them. The center azalea my have some fungal problems going on and fertilizer won't help. I'd remove it and some of the surrounding soil. For this season, I'd not plant another azalea and keep an eye on the other two. You might place a container there to fill in the space. If your other azaleas show no problems next year, you can plant another one in the space.