Quoted By:
Azaleas make beautiful, albeit difficult bonsai specimens. They are not trees, but shrubs, obviously. This means they are strongly basally dominant and will readily kill off branches on its upper canopy, destroying decades-old bonsai material. You have to continuously keep the lower branches well pruned while cautiously letting the top thrive. They also tend to have inefficient vascular tissue, because their living cambium layer is so thin. This means after a few years of ramification, you must prune to maintain vigor. The dense, evergreen leaves protect the tissue from sun damage - if you prune too heavily and don't leave enough foliage, the azalea can easily die. They require very acidic soil conditions to thrive, and will decline over time if watered with hard water.
