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Rhododendron Flame Azalea

Award-Winning Native | Considered One of the Best

Genus: Rhododendron
Species: calendulaceum
Item Form: Trade Gallon (3qt)
Zone: 5 - 7
Bloom Start To End: Mid Spring - Late Summer
Habit: Upright
Plant Height: 8 ft
Plant Width: 10 ft
Additional Characteristics: Butterfly Lovers, Hummingbird Lovers
Bloom Color: Light Burgundy, Light Red, Orange, Gold, Variegated, Yellow
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Soil Tolerance: Normal, loamy, Sandy
Uses: Beds, Border, Hedge
Restrictions:
*Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
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Genus: Rhododendron
Species: calendulaceum
Item Form: Trade Gallon (3qt)
Zone: 5 - 7
Bloom Start To End: Mid Spring - Late Summer
Habit: Upright
Plant Height: 8 ft
Plant Width: 10 ft
Additional Characteristics: Butterfly Lovers, Hummingbird Lovers
Bloom Color: Light Burgundy, Light Red, Orange, Gold, Variegated, Yellow
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Soil Tolerance: Normal, loamy, Sandy
Uses: Beds, Border, Hedge
Restrictions:
*Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
show more

Winner of the Rhododendron of the Year Award of the American Rhododendron Society for the Mid-Atlantic, North East, North West, and South East regions.

Native to North America, primarily to the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, this upright, loosely branched deciduous shrub is usually found growing on woodland slopes and mountain balds in the wild. An award winner, it is a prized American shrub, considered one of the best and most beautiful, and an important parent of many deciduous azalea hybrids.

Flame gets its name from its unusually shaped brilliant red buds and funnel-shaped flowers in fiery shades—yellow, gold, orange, red, and even burgundy—that resemble candle flames as they open. The flowers grow up to 3 inches, larger than most natives, and bloom in loose trusses of 5 to 10 flowers in late spring to early summer, appearing as the leaves emerge or shortly afterwards.

Although slow to establish, the plant typically grows 4 to 8 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. It prefers a protected location with dappled sunlight and acidic, sandy, well-drained soil, but it can tolerate a heavier sun location, if kept moist, and a humusy loam or silt soil, if well-drained.

This is an excellent shrub for naturalistic landscapes that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Uses: Mixed Beds, Borders, Hedge Plant

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Azaleas and Rhododendrons have been interbred since the first plants were scooped out of the dirt, and for a while these "crossbreeds" were even referred to by some ghastly name — Azaleodendrons or the like.

The old rule of thumb used to be that Azaleas are deciduous and Rhododendrons evergreen, but if that was ever true, it isn't anymore.

The differences between the two are slight, so slight in fact that botanists do not break them into the two groups that gardeners have come to know. Rhododendrons have 10 stamens per flower, while Azaleas have only five. While both can be deciduous, that trait is typically seen more in Azaleas than Rhododendrons. The shape of the leaves is often another indicator, with larger, paddle-shaped leaves typical of Rhododendrons, Azaleas often have smaller, elliptical leaves and trumpet, or tubular-shaped flowers at the ends of the shoots.

Shop All Rhododendrons & Azaleas

Butterflies like a lot of sunlight, so locate your garden in a sunny area.
If you live in a windy location, plant your butterfly-attracting plants near a building, fence, or hedge to protect them.
Plant a variety of nectar-rich plants, as well as shrubs and evergreens for shelter.
Since many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved, try to put in some that are native to your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center provides lists of plants native to states and regions.
Certain colors are particularly attracting to butterflies – red, yellow, pink, purple, or orange blooms that are clustered or flat-topped, with a short flower tubes are especially attractive to adult butterflies.
Avoid using pesticides, especially around nectar-producing plants.
Provide a shallow source of water – try a birdbath with pebbles lining the bowl.
Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.
Create a "puddling area" by digging a shallow hole filled with compost or manure where rainwater will collect and release essential salts and minerals.
If you want butterflies to breed in your garden, put in some caterpillar food plants, such as parsley, milkweeds, asters, thistles, violets, clover, grasses, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
Since butterflies need nectar throughout the entire adult phase of their lives, try to create a design that will allow for a continuous bloom – when one stops blooming, another starts.

About this Product

Winner of the Rhododendron of the Year Award of the American Rhododendron Society for the Mid-Atlantic, North East, North West, and South East regions.

This is an excellent shrub for naturalistic landscapes that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Uses: Mixed Beds, Borders, Hedge Plant

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