Common Name

Piedmont Azalea

Scientific Name

Rhododendron canescens

A large, deciduous shrub that is often called the “Sweet Azalea” due to its delicate fragrance or the “Woolly Azalea” due to its fuzzy leaves. It has fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers in March or April and fuzzy, egg-shaped leaves. The flowers range in color from white to pink, and appear at the same time as the leaves or just before, providing nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies. Often found along the banks of streams and rivers and at the edges of moist woods or swamps, the Piedmont Azalea is the most abundant of all of the native azalea species in the Southeast. Height: 10-15’

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Tracheophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Order: Ericales
  • Family: Ericaceae
  • Genus: Rhododendron
  • Species: Rhododendron canescens
Habitat

Forest, Urban

Distribution

Native to the eastern United states Coastal Plain & Piedmont from NC to FL & TX

Seasonality

Spring, Summer

Abundance

Common

Activity Time

Diurnal

Diet

Behavior

Ecological Role

Flowers are visited by bees, hummingbirds and butterflies

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Threats & Impacts

Notes