Azaleas: Plant This or That

In the mid-Atlantic, azaleas amaze every spring. Did you know that in addition to bright fuchsias, above on the left, and the pinks and clear whites from Europe and Asia, there are a number of native azaleas like the pale orange above on the right?  The contrast can be stark.  The subtleties of the natives, though, make for a really interesting, and different, color palette.

The orange, the Florida azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) and a pinky white, the pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) are two that are easier to find.

Florida and pinxterbloom azaleas (Rhododendron periclymenoides) provide a more subtle, but equally beautiful, look as compared to the bright fuchsias and pinks from Asia. The Middle Atlantic Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society focuses on east coast native azaleas and has a great web page showing all 15 species know to be native to the East Coast.

#springcolor