Identifying the East Coast Native Azaleas

Pink Group

East Coast Native Azaleas - THE PINK GROUP

In the "pink group" of the native azaleas, there are five main species: Rhododendron canescens, R. canadense, R. periclymenoides, R. prinophyllum, and R. vaseyi. Although the blossoms of these species range from pale pink to deep rose or almost crimson, there are rare white forms of certain plants.

All of these plants bloom in early spring, before the leaves have fully expanded. However, there are some other distinguishing characteristics that can help tell the pink native azaleas apart. The following questions deal with characteristics of buds, expanding leaves, and various flower characteristics. Use the chart below to help discriminate among these five pink native azalea species found in the eastern United States.

1. Do the flowers have exactly five stamens and no obvious spotting or blotch on the corolla?

YES

2. Is the flower long and tubular with stamens 2 to 3 times the length of the flower? The pedicels that the flowers attach to are relatively short.

YES

3. Does the flower tube have lots of glandular hairs on the back which makes it rather sticky?

YES

4. Are the bud scales covered with fuzzy hairs, and do the leaves have numerous hairs, too?

Yes The flower is probably R. canescens
No. The plant may be R. periclymenoides or a hybrid.

5. Does the flower tube have lots of hairs, but few or no glands? The petals of the flower are often narrow, wavy, and pinched.

Yes The flower is probably R. periclymenoides
No. The plant may be R. canescens or a hybrid.

6. Is the flower somewhat funnel-shaped and relatively short? The pedicels that the flowers attach to are fairly long.

Yes The flower is probably R. prinophyllum
No. The plant may be a hybrid.

7. Do the flowers have as many as 10 stamens and relatively narrow petals?

YES

8. Are the top three petals fused together almost to the very end but the bottom two are narrow and distinct?

Yes The flower is probably R. canadense
No. The plant may be a hybrid or some other species.

9. Is the flower relatively flat with rounded-edged petals, but the bottom two are longer than the top three petals of the corolla? Most blossoms will have 7 stamens, but some may have only 5 or 6.

Yes The flower is probably R. vaseyi
No. The plant may be a hybrid or some other species.

NATIVES

WHITE

PINK

ORANGE