Tom's Life Bits

BY CATHERINE BOLLINGER
If you're looking for ways to add pops of color to a shady shrub border or naturalized landscape through most of the growing season, try some native deciduous azaleas. Unlike their evergreen cousins that mostly bloom in the spring, deciduous azaleas bloom from mid-spring to late summer, depending on the species. Probably because they shed their leaves every fall, deciduous azaleas tend to have fewer bug problems than the evergreens. And because they aren't green during the winter, deer are more likely to leave them largely unmolested.

Like evergreen azaleas, the native deciduous species prefer well-drained, evenly moist soil. A good mulch layer keeps their roots cool and moist. Some species are native to rocky hilltops and are quite drought-resistant when they get established. Some naturally occur on northern slopes beside streams, while others favor moister coastal plain environments. Many of the species tend to be stoloniferous, meaning they spread by underground branches called stolons to make clusters of plants.

Many hybrid deciduous azalea varieties are available. Because flower color can vary widely within a species, it's best to buy a blooming specimen or at least a named variety if you want to be certain of the bloom color.

There's probably at least one deciduous azalea species that will adapt well to a shady spot in your yard. If you have a well-drained spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, consider adding one or more of these native azaleas.

Coast azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum) blooms in early to mid-April slightly before its leaves emerge. This native of coastal plains from Delaware to Georgia is more moisture-tolerant than some other deciduous azaleas, but it shouldn't be sited in a perpetually wet spot. This shrub grows to 3 to 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. The flowers are potently fragrant; some people find them almost too sweet. Flower color varies from white to pink. The species spreads by stolons to make a cluster of shrubs. A nonspreading variety with white flowers called “Winterthur” is available. Another common name for this species is dwarf azalea.

Florida azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) is one of the easiest deciduous azaleas to grow, and it's quite drought tolerant after it gets established. It blooms in mid-April. Its dramatic color and fragrance make this azalea hard to ignore in the landscape. Sometimes called “Florida flame azalea,” its color ranges from gold to orange, often with a red blush at the base of the trumpets. Mature specimens can reach 8 to 10 feet high and wide. Adding this species beneath taller trees will provide color for your landscape, food for newly arrived hummingbirds, and nesting sites for many bird species.

Alabama azalea (Rhododendron alabamense) blooms in mid- to late April. It tends to keep a more compact form as it reaches its mature height and width of 5 to 6 feet. Because it is native to dry open woodlands and rocky hills in Alabama and Georgia, plant this one on a slope to ensure good drainage. The flowers are pure white with delicate yellow blotches on the petals. They emit a sweet citrus-tinged scent that is subtly intoxicating.

Pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides, also called R. nudiflorum) can be found growing wild in Piedmont woodlands, usually on north slopes near streams. In the Triangle, it blooms from early April through May just before its leaves emerge. Flower color varies from pink to white. This many-branched shrub can grow as tall as 12 feet high and 6 feet wide, though most specimens usually top out at about 6 feet. Many named cultivars exist, including a rich purple-flowering form called “Purple.” If you plant Pinxterbloom Azalea on a slope to ensure good drainage, you'll have reliable late spring color every year.

Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) usually starts and finishes blooming a bit before Pinxterbloom Azalea. This multibranch shrub can reach mature heights of 10 to 15 feet, and 6 to 10 feet wide. When covered in blooms ranging from pink to white, a mature specimen is breathtaking in the landscape. Piedmont azalea is quite drought-tolerant after it is established, and it also tolerates deeper shade than some other species.

Oconee flame azalea (Rhododendron flammeum) sets woodlands afire in late April through mid-May with bright blossoms that range from yellow-orange to orange to deep crimson. This heat-tolerant shrub is native to parts of Georgia and South Carolina and adapts beautifully to North Carolina shade gardens. It forms an attractive mounded shrub that matures at 6 to 8 feet high and wide. Many varieties exist, including “Scarlet Ibis,” a deep red-blooming form.

Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) provides late summer color in the woodland garden with vivid flowers ranging from salmon pink to orange to deep crimson. The flowers are not fragrant, but hummingbirds will be delighted when this shrub blooms in your landscape. Mature specimens can reach 8 to 12 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide. This shrub is native to a small region of southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama, growing on forested ravines along streams. Plant this beauty where it will be protected from afternoon sun so its flowers won't fade, and make sure it stays moist during summer droughts.

Visitors can see mature specimens of many deciduous azalea species at the N.C. Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. The curator, Chris Liloia, says she prefers these natives over the ubiquitous evergreen varieties, calling them “much more graceful and less gaudy.”

Certainly for a naturalistic setting, it's hard to think of anything lovelier than a many-branched mature blooming deciduous azalea beneath tall trees with smaller perennials blooming at its feet.

Catherine Bollinger has been gardening in this region for 35 years. She writes and lectures about her passion for Piedmont gardening as often as possible.