There were very few variegated azaleas available in the US until
recently, but with the public interest in new and unusual varieties, more are
becoming available. Originally there were only a few variegated Satsuki
varieties. These were:
'Keigetsu' One of the earliest blooming Satsukis with light pink flowers
and a red margin. The green leaves are flecked with white on a low spreading
plant.
'Uki Nishiki' White flowers with many variegations of stripes, flecks, etc.
of a dark purple. The leaves are flecked with yellow.
'Shira Fuji' The flowers are variable, generally white with purple
variations. The leaves have an attractive distinct white margin on a dwarf
plant. This is a newer introduction and a worthwhile plant.
'Shinnyo No Tsuki Sport' Very large white flowers with crimson blotches
bloom in June. The leaves sport cream stripes longitudinally
throughout.
'Fuji No Mine' A dwarf cultivar admired for its unusual foliage-the leaves
are variegated with many flecks of yellow. Pink flowers with a darker circle
bloom in June.
American growers began introducing variegated azaleas in the late 1980's
and early 1990's. One of the most popular and now widely available is 'Silver
Sword', a sport of 'Girard's Rose' with a distinct white margin bordering a
dark green leaf. It is a vigorous grower, and the leaves have a beautiful
reddish color in winter. Other Girard plants with white margined foliage
included 'Girard's Variegated Gem', a sport of pink flowered 'Border Gem',
and 'Hot Shot Variegated' with bright orange-red flowers. These varieties
tend to have a lighter green color in their leaves.
Two recent introductions which are sports of 'Girard's Rose' and similar to
'Silver Sword' are 'Brainne' which is a Blue Sterling Nursery introduction
and is supposed to be hardier and has a much thinner and longer green leaf
with the white margin and ‘The Robe'. A Buds and Bloom introduction which is
almost identical to 'Silver Sword'.
Two southern varieties of the white margined types discovered in the 1980's
are 'Southern Belle', a sport of 'Pink Ruffles', and 'Red Ruffles
Variegated'. Another lovely choice is 'Silver Streak', a Greenwood hybrid
with white margined foliage and purple flowers which is a sport of 'Deep
Purple'.
There are very few variegated deciduous azaleas. Among them are two
species, a white margined R. 'canescens' which was found in Florida and R.
austrinum 'Don's Variegated'. Both have bright green leaves with creamy
marbled flecks.
