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Published February 4, 2026

by Brenda Beust Smith | The Lazy Gardener

Wonderful treat today! Looking ahead to Azalea Trail 2026 (Fri.-Sun., March 6-8), sharing history and tips is Bart Brechter, Houston’s leading azalea expert and decades-longtime curator of our Museum of Fine Arts gardens and landscape operations — including the 14-acre Bayou Bend Collections and gardens. A noted expert on Southern azaleas, Bart generously shares info & guidance on their care, cultivation, and selection for Gulf Coast climates. 

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Azaleas from A to Z

By Bart Brechter, Curator of Gardens

Azaleas in bloom are synonymous with springtime in Houston and along the Gulf Coast; however, this shrub is not native to Texas but to the temperate and subtropical regions of Asia. No one really knows who brought the first azalea to Houston: some say it was the local Teas Nursery (now closed), and others say it was Ima Hogg. What we do know is that the Asian azalea plant was not sold in Houston before 1930. That spring, Miss Hogg planted seven Omurasaki azaleas north of the Upper Garden (now the East Garden) as an experiment. Her attempt proved so successful that she purchased 250 more azaleas in December 1931. She continued to plant azaleas until she had acquired 43 different cultivars, numbering an estimated 3,000 plants. Clearly, it was Ima Hogg who popularized this East Asian shrub in Houston.

Miss Hogg was influenced by notable estates such as Bellingrath in Theodore, Alabama, Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, and other prominent southern gardens of the time that featured these well-adapted Asian plants. Azaleas were building a reputation like the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) as being a southern plant. Brought to the United States in the late 1780s from Asia via Europe to Philadelphia, the azalea later found its way to Magnolia Plantation in 1848. It is here that the Southern indica cultivar was hybridized for heat tolerance. Gradually new azalea cultivars, like Formosa, George L. Tabor, and Mrs. G. G. Gerbing, were introduced to the South with similar favorable traits. From South Carolina, the azalea was established in Atlanta and then slowly made its way west to Houston. Along the way new plants were developed, like Mardi Gras, Gulf Pride, and Pride of Mobile, examples that every garden enthusiast in the 1930s desired. The popularity of the azalea in the south led it to be thought of as a southern plant, a notion that continues to this day. 

Its evergreen characteristic and ability to be maintained at desired heights allow the azalea to be a perfect plant for the borders of a Houston landscape. Add the beautiful spring blooms and it is no wonder the azalea became the signature shrub of the South. An azalea has many other wonderful qualities: depending on the cultivar, the color pallet ranges from dark pink to light pink, white to red, dark purple to lilac, striped two-tone and three-tone; the shrub can grow as low as two feet or reach a height of twenty feet; and there are numerous choices in blooms, including single and double.

The azalea and its many diverse qualities allowed Miss Hogg to be creative in molding Bayou Bend’s fourteen acres into the signature landscape and gardens that we know today. By 1936, the azalea had grown in such popularity that the River Oaks Garden Club organized a trail in its honor. At the time, most Houstonians were not familiar with the azalea since it was not native to the area. The garden club used the trail to educate the public on the flowering shrub and about horticulture in general. Houston’s Azalea Trail, the oldest in the country, celebrates the coming of spring each year by opening select homes and gardens for guests to tour at the beginning of March. Miss Hogg was a key organizer and opened Bayou Bend and its gardens for the inaugural trail; since then, our gardens have been a perennial fixture. Now in its 77th year, the Azalea Trail is the premier garden event for Houston and the country. The 2012 Azalea Trail will showcase homes and gardens that center on the “Going Green Theme.” Throughout Bayou Bend’s gardens, signage will highlight the organic methods used to maintain Miss Hogg’s historic formal gardens, the only such public garden in Texas to do so.

How to Care for Azaleas

Especially in Houston’s unpredictable climate, novices and skilled gardeners alike wonder how to care for azaleas. Bart Brechter offers a simple approach to growing brilliant, flowering azaleas in your yard.  

Basic azalea care requires four key ingredients: the right spot and time of year, mulch, water, and fertilizer. Where and when you plant is as critical as how you plant. Find a spot that receives partial shade and avoid late afternoon sun. The summer afternoon heat is particularly difficult for azaleas. The best time to plant an azalea is in the fall or spring when daytime temperatures are in the seventies. The correct preparation and planting of an azalea is critical for the best health and long-term care. The first step is to mix the existing soil with compost or organic potting soil. Second, plant the root ball one inch above the soil line. Third, cover the root ball and ground around the azalea with mulch, such as leaves or pine needles, to help with moisture control, nutrients, and temperature stabilization. A good mulch layer will help insulate the soil from the harsh summer heat and protect it from the winter cold. Planting correctly and applying mulch will help with watering. Too much water will drown the shrub while too little will dry out the shallow root system. When mulched and planted properly, azaleas will require much less water. Fertilization is recommended three times a year, once in April then again in late May and in June. While azaleas will bloom well with no fertilization, they will perform with greater yield if placed on a regular fertilization schedule.

For those of you who don’t know, Texas doesn’t rely on a groundhog (35% accuracy record) for weather predictions. Our weather-predicting alligator, “Big Al”, has a 100% accuracy record. The good news is this year, “Big Al” disagreed with Punxsutawney Phil (the ‘hog), who predicted six more weeks of discouragingly-cold weather. With heavy winter weather mostly past, our 93-year-old, 13-foot-4-inch alligator happily ate his favorite food (often Kentucky Fried Chicken) at his Gator Country home in Beaumont.

We can trust “Al.” The ‘hog’s accuracy rate is about 35%. Al’s accuracy rate is 100%! (Truth in reporting: alligators genetically cannot eat until all danger of frost has passed, and spring is right around the corner.) When Al’s handlers tossed in his favorite Kentucky Fried Chicken (or steak), Al was interested. Conclusion: spring is right around the corner. Happy plants.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 

AZALEAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

Fri.-Sun. March 6, 7 & 8, 2026, 11 am to 5 pm River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail. $35/pp includes 4 private home gardens in in the Tanglewood/Memorial area, Bayou Bend Gardens , Rienzi and ROGC’s Forum of Civics gardens. 

Google these garden sites if you’re new to the area and not aware of the gorgeous azaleas and complementary plants, well worth the entrance fees (primarily used to ensure their continued presence). 

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Big Al is 100% accurate! Big Al, a 13-foot, 1,000-pound alligator at Gator Country in Beaumont, is always 100% right!

TEXAS WEATHER-PREDICTING
ALLIGATOR ATE HIS STEAK!

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John’s Corner

NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOIL AND PLANTS

Please take a moment to read a past article of John’s regarding Brown Patch and Take-all Patch, two common lawn issues in the area, especially in cold wet weather. To read the full article, click the link at the bottom.

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