(Tree Rhododendron)

Large, tongue-like leaves are amazing to see year round on tree rhododendron, and its pink to white bell-like blossoms in spring are certainly pretty. This upright small tree is native to the mountains ranges of southern China, next to Tibet and Myanmar. Several natural varieties exist of this species, varying in their flower color, lobes, or number of blossoms in their trusses.

Leathery, bright green leaves are a highlight on this tree: long as a foot and wide as two fingers. In mid-spring the...

(Calsap Rhododendron, Michener Hybrid Rhododendron, Rhododendron)

As exceptionally hardy as it is beautiful, this hybrid of Rhododendron catawbiense var. album bears spectacular spherical clusters of white flowers with boldly contrasting burgundy-purple blotches. The broadly funnel-shaped blooms appear in late spring. This vigorous evergreen forms a rounded head-high shrub with long, elliptic, yellow-green leaves. Like most rhododendrons, 'Calsap' prefers some shade and a highly organic acid soil that is evenly moist but well-drained. It makes...

(Mountain Azalea, Piedmont Azalea)

Perfuming the late winter or early spring air, the pink or white blooms of the Piedmont azalea are a sure sign that spring is near. Rhododendron canescens and its cultivars are favorite shrubs of gardeners in its native southeastern United States. It has also contributed to many outstanding hybrid deciduous azaleas.

This medium to tall, upright shrub bears clusters of sticky, tubular flowers which end in flaring petals. The mid-green, slightly hairy, narrowly elliptical leaves break...

(Florida Pinxter, Mountain Azalea, Piedmont Azalea, Select Yellow Azalea)

Perfuming the early spring air with fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers, Rhododendron canescens is a favorite shrub of gardeners in its native southeastern United States. Its cultivar 'Select Yellow' has bright butter yellow blooms. The mid-green, slightly hairy, narrowly elliptical leaves break bud as the flowers open. The leaves turn rusty red in fall. This medium-sized to tall shrub spreads slowly via suckering.

Piedmont azalea prefers partial shade and highly organic acid soil that...

(Florida Pinxter, Mountain Azalea, Piedmont Azalea, Varnadoe's Phlox Pink Azalea)

Perfuming the late winter or early spring air with fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers, Rhododendron canescens is a favorite shrub of gardeners in its native southeastern United States. Its cultivar 'Varnadoe's Phlox Pink' has bright pink blooms. The mid-green, slightly hairy, narrowly elliptical leaves break bud as the flowers open. The leaves turn rusty red in fall. This medium-sized to tall shrub spreads slowly via suckering.

Piedmont azalea prefers partial shade and highly organic...

(Cannon's Double Azalea, Deciduous Azalea, Exbury Hybrid Azalea)

Named Rhododendron of the Year by the American Rhododendron Society of America, ‘Cannon’s Double’ is an exceptional deciduous azalea. This hardy hybrid bears an abundance of slightly fragrant, fully double, funnel-shaped blooms in late spring, before the foliage emerges. Their ruffled petals are pale yellow with deep pink veins and reverses. The compact, mounding, open plants bear small, oval, dark green leaves that turn red-bronze in fall.

Azaleas prefer sites with partial shade and highly...

(Cannons Double Pink Azalea, Deciduous Azalea)

Named a 2008 Rhododendron of the Year by the American Rhododendron Society, ‘Cannon’s Double’ is an exceptional, deciduous azalea. This hybrid is very hardy and flowers abundantly. The fragrant, tubular-funnel-shaped blooms appear in late spring and early summer and are fully double with wavy edges. The color is pale yellow with deep pink veins and outer petals. The plants are small, mounding and open. The dark-green leaves are small, oval to lance-shaped and have red-bronze fall color.

Deciduous...

One of the horticultural dynasties of nineteenth and twentieth century England, the Waterer family introduced a diversity of large-leaved rhododendrons through their Knap Hill and Bagshot nurseries. Many are hybrids of hardy species including R. catawbiense, R. maximum, and R. ponticum. Their wide-flaring funnel-shaped flowers are borne in large rounded trusses in spring. The red, pink, purple, or white blooms often have a contrasting blotch...

(Carla Hybrid Azalea)

Bred to grow vigorously and bloom heavily in the heat, humidity, and drought of the Southeast United States, these evergreen azaleas were developed from 1960 onward at North Carolina State and Louisiana State universities using Kurume, Kaempferi, Belgian Indica, and Satsuki hybrids. Their broadly funnel-shaped single, semi-double, or double blooms are usually red, orange, or pink, often with a contrasting blotch. The dense, rounded, typically compact plants have small elliptic medium- to dark-green...

(Carlson Hybrid Azaleas)

Bred for their low spreading habit and good cold-hardiness, these evergreen azaleas were developed after 1960 by Bob and Jan Carlson at their nursery in South Salem, New York. Hybrids of the antique Japanese cultivar 'Mucronatum', they bear white or pink single flowers in mid-spring. The wide-flaring, starry, funnel-shaped blooms often have contrasting speckles on their upper lobes. The leaves are elliptic and relatively small.

These azaleas prefer partial shade and highly organic acid soil...