Indoor azalea
Rhododendron simsii
Also called Florist's azalea and Pot azalea
Houseplant · FloweringIt wants a cold room and rainwater, which is why they die on warm windowsills by the dozen every Christmas. Never let the rootball dry — it will not take water back up.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Very hard
- Water
- Every 3 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Bright indirect, cool
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- High
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 0.6 m tall · 0.6 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- China
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting (not in horses), diarrhoea, weakness and heart failure.
PeopleHarmful if eaten
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A gap has opened between the rootball and the side of the pot and water runs straight down it — the leaves curl inward before they brown.Rootball dried out · disorder
- Notched leaf edges low on the plant, and the whole shrub loosens in the pot when you rock it.Vine weevil · pest