Rhododendron is a good plant to fill in a large space. It is very hearty and beautiful. The dark green sturdy leaves are a sharp contrast to the paper-like blooms. As it is budding, one would think it was a Magnolia bud, but once it starts errupting with its vibrant color, you soon realize its majesty. There is not much fragrance to the blossom, but the show it gives is worth the loss. The shrub we have blooms twice a year, early spring and early fall. If it is planted in an ideal spot, it could bloom periodically during the entire season.
Azalea is what I call a smaller version of the Rhododendron. It is more compact for landscaping to use as an accent below windows. One draw-back to an Azalea is that here in North Carolina, they bud and bloom out usually the same time of the last frost or freeze. This will make the blooms turn brown and shrivel up before it is able to show its true potential.
Both shrubs are resilient to pruning but are absolutely majestic if left alone and natural. One of my best friends have a Southern Living style house where she has both azalea and rhododendron under the front windows. They are the icing on the cake of a true southern estate.
The University of Missouri Extension department has an excellent webpage regarding these wonderful plants....http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6825
My grandmother has quite a few of these but I never knew exactly what they were called.
ReplyDeleteThose are some very beautiful flowers. Azaleas are especially beautiful.
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