Q: All of my azaleas have lots of yellow leaves. Is it drought or something else?

A: We think of spring-blooming azaleas as being evergreen but in truth they are sometimes semi-evergreen. They drop a certain percentage of leaves each winter. Large-leaved varieties, like the Indica clan seem more likely to show marked yellowing than the Kurume group. I think what you’re seeing is normal behavior for azaleas. The yellow leaves are those that were produced back in spring, when life looked good for the plant. They are more delicate than leaves produced in summer, so they are the first to drop when cold weather arrives. As long as the leaves on the tips of your azalea are green, the plant is healthy. It will fill in with more leaves next year.