Wikimedia Commons
Ericaceae
Flame Azalea
Rhododendron calendulaceum
Mountain fire and wild brilliance.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Rhododendron
- Native to
- Appalachian Mountains, eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Late Spring
- Type
- deciduous shrub
- Height
- 1.5–3 m
- Sunlight
- part shade
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- medium
- Hardiness
- 5–7
- Lifespan
- long-lived shrub
Did you know
- Hillsides in the Great Smoky Mountains glow neon orange every June when these natives all bloom at once.
- Bartram, exploring the southern Appalachians in 1791, called it 'the most gay and brilliant flowering shrub yet known'.
- Unlike most azaleas, the flowers have no fragrance — they rely entirely on color to attract butterflies.
- Its hybrids with other Appalachian species produced the famous Knap Hill and Exbury garden azaleas.
- Roan Mountain in Tennessee hosts an annual 'Rhododendron Festival' built around this single species.
Color meanings
Orange
appalachian flame
Yellow
mountain sunlight
Red
wild ardor