Q.Azalea..evergreen variety? Pink flower
Full of blooms, but blooms don’t open. Blooms appear to be wilted. Northern CA Central valley. Large 5-gal ceramic pot. Established plant for several years. Very lightly pruned over the winter months.
Is there any sign of distress on the azalea besides the wilted blooms? What about the leaves? Do you typically prune over the winter months or was that just this year?
Is this an indoor or outdoor plant?
There are a few reasons this could be happening:
* Did the azalea experience a frost or freeze? This will damage azalea buds causing them to brown and fall off.
* An insect infestation - look for thrips - this article will tell you how:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/controlling-thrips.htm
* Bud blight (Botytris blight) which tends to happen after extended periods of rain. More information here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/treating-botrytis-blight.htm
* Bud blast wrought from environmental conditions (improper watering, temperature extremes, wrong lighting, too little humidity, etc.) More information here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/bud-blast-in-flowers.htm
