I have 2 old azaleas, 20+ years. One is magenta and the other double rose colored flower. Both flower great and I see seed pods year after year, but I never find any seedlings? I doubt they are sterile given the age of them and back then nobody created sterile cultivars, so why don't I find seedlings growing outside near the parent plants?
Why don't I ever find Azalea seedlings?
Keithp, A plant can produce seeds but that does not guarantee germination. Germination occurs with the right conditions.
If you're interested in collecting the seeds and growing them out:
http://www.rhododendron.org/v48n1p10.htm
Growing plants from rooted cuttings:
http://www.rhododendron.org/v48n4p201.htm
Quote from UMD_Terp :
Keithp, A plant can produce seeds but that does not guarantee germination. Germination occurs with the right conditions.
If you're interested in collecting the seeds and growing them out:
http://www.rhododendron.org/v48n1p10.htm
Growing plants from rooted cuttings:
http://www.rhododendron.org/v48n4p201.htm
What are the right conditions for outdoor germination?
I do not have your answer there are way too many unstated variables for me to speculate.
Perhaps there is an expert on the forum better equipped to answer you.