By Peggy Deland
Azaleas are a type of rhododendron grown for their brightly colored flowers. They are exceptionally long-lived plants. Some azaleas in Japan are over 100 years old and look more like small trees than a plant usually found in a flowerbed. A few have trunks that are 12 inches or more in diameter. Azaleas grow best in acidic soil, in growing zones 7 through 9. Hardy varieties can survive as far...