Perfect Satsuki Azalea 29cm

The Satsuki Azalea (Rhododendron indicum ‘Satsuki’) is an outdoor bonsai. It is the most popular flowering bonsai producing a stunning display of red, pink or white blooms every spring. When not in flower, it is an attractive evergreen species that is native to Japan.

This particular tree stands approximately 5cm tall and is elegantly presented in a blue ceramic bonsai pot measuring 17cm depth and 14cm width. Its compact size and graceful shape make it perfect for desks, windowsills, or shelves adding a calming, natural aesthetic to any space.

The Azalea is an outdoor bonsai. They do best when they are provided with a lot of sun to help ripen the shoots from which flowers will come but also provide it with some shade, especially during the hottest parts of summer days. Protect from frost and temperatures lower than 2 °C.

Watering

No strict schedule, watering needs vary based on climate, soil, airflow, and pot size.
We recommend using the submersion method, which we’ve detailed on our Best Way to Water a Bonsai Tree blog post.

Feeding

Feed weekly or fortnightly from March to October with Chrysal Liquid Bonsai Feed (2 ml per litre of water). Add directly to the water during submersion.

Use Naruko Slow Release Fertiliser, either sprinkled on the soil or placed in a fertiliser baskets.

Regular feeding is essential to your Azalea tree’s flowering and if not done properly could result in no flowers some years. However, during the blooming period, reduce the amount of feeding by half or stop altogether to favour flowering over vegetative growth.

Regular pruning keeps your bonsai healthy, compact, and aesthetically pleasing. During the growing season (March–September), trim back new shoots once they grow beyond 3–4 leaves, leaving the two closest leaves intact.

Wiring is best done during late autumn, when the tree’s growth naturally slows. Use wire that is approximately the same thickness as the branch. This helps gently shape and refine your bonsai’s structure over time.

As soon as the flowers have wilted and died, pinch or cut them off. Remove the whole flower, including the dead petals and the whole bud from which it came. In this time period, begin pruning the branches and leaves too, since the buds for next year’s flowers will form in summer. If left too late into the year you could risk losing them during the pruning process.

Check out our Bonsai Pruning and Wiring Services.

Repot in early spring with a well-draining bonsai soil mix.

Check out our Bonsai Tree Repotting Services.

Take a look at our Azalea Bonsai Care Guide page for a more in-depth guide on looking after your new tree.