It’s always fun to spot a native azalea, as opposed to the kind everyone has at the front of their house! This azalea is more common in the mountains in moist to dry forests. These species are generally highly inter-fertile and hybridize frequently.
Cool fact: What that means is that horticulturalists have taken advantage of that trait and produced thousands of hybrid plants (which are now at the front of everyone’s house). Over 25,000 cultivars of Rhododendron have been developed.
Alternate Names: Pinxter Flower Family: Ericaceae (Heath family) Habitat: Moist to dry forests, common in mountains, uncommon in piedmont. Identifiers: Blooming Early May
