By DR. MARY HELEN FERGUSON
LSU AgCenter
As the Southern Indica azaleas - such as the magenta-flowered Formosa, the light pink George Lindley Taber, and the white G.G. Gerbing - reach the end of their late winter and springtime show, we start to see bursts of color on plants that recently looked bare. While evergreen azaleas are better known, all azaleas native to Louisiana are deciduous. These and species from other parts of the southeastern US add to the color that we see in our early spring landscapes.
In Louisiana, in the wild, most deciduous azaleas produce pink or white flowers. People call Rhododendron canescens by a number of names, including wild azalea, piedmont azalea, hoary azalea, and southern pinxter azalea. It's also sometimes called bush honeysuckle due to the appearance of its flowers. It tends to grow along shady streambanks in the Florida Parishes. Piedmont azalea typically reaches about 6 feet tall, though it can grow taller.
A second species native to Louisiana is swamp azalea (R. viscosum). As the name suggests, it grows in wet areas. As on piedmont azalea, the flowers can be white or pink but, on this one, are typically white.
The Florida flame azalea (R. austrinum) isn't considered native to Louisiana, but it's one of the more commonly planted deciduous azaleas and is native to much of the rest of the Deep South. Its flowers are typically yellow to orange.
Besides these mentioned, there are hybrids that have been bred from these and other deciduous species. Some are better adapted to the Deep South than others. The Aromi series, for example, was bred for tolerance to the Deep South's heat.
Like other azaleas, deciduous ones grow where soil is acidic. While some can be found in heavily shaded conditions in nature, partial sun conditions are likely to result in more flowers than deep shade.
Let me know if you have questions.
Dr. Mary Helen Ferguson is an Extension Agent with the LSU AgCenter, with horticulture responsibilities in Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes. Contact Mary Helen at mhferguson@agcenter.lsu.edu, 985-277-1850 (Hammond), or 985-839-7855 (Franklinton).
