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Rhododendron Swamp Azalea

Strong Clove Fragrance | Beautiful Fall Color

Genus: Rhododendron
Species: viscosum
Item Form: Trade Gallon (3qt)
Zone: 4 - 9
Bloom Start To End: Late Spring - Late Summer
Habit: Upright
Plant Height: 5 ft
Plant Width: 12 ft
Additional Characteristics: Bird Lovers, Butterfly Lovers
Bloom Color: Light Pink, White
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Light Requirements: Part Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained, Wet
Resistance: Cold Hardy
Uses: Border, Hedge
Restrictions:
*Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Virgin Islands
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Genus: Rhododendron
Species: viscosum
Item Form: Trade Gallon (3qt)
Zone: 4 - 9
Bloom Start To End: Late Spring - Late Summer
Habit: Upright
Plant Height: 5 ft
Plant Width: 12 ft
Additional Characteristics: Bird Lovers, Butterfly Lovers
Bloom Color: Light Pink, White
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Light Requirements: Part Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained, Wet
Resistance: Cold Hardy
Uses: Border, Hedge
Restrictions:
*Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Virgin Islands
show more

Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society

One of 17 species of azalea native to the U.S., endemic to swamps, bogs, stream margins and wet lowlands from Maine to Ohio south to Florida and Alabama, this native wetland shrub (commonly known as swamp azalea) is sometimes called the clammy azalea for its very sticky corolla. The species name, viscosum, means sticky in Latin.

This is one of the last native azaleas to bloom. But in spring to early summer, it blooms profusely, after the leaves expand. Its clusters of 3 to 12 funnel-shaped white to blushing pink flowers have long, slender tubes at the base, 5 extended stamens, and a strong clove-like fragrance, attracting bees and birds.

A deciduous woody shrub, the plant is bushy with a loose, upright habit. It prefers acidic, humusy, well-drained soil, but tolerates wet soil, even poor drainage and periodic flooding, and grows up to 12 feet in width but averages only about 5 feet in height. Lustrous narrow leaves cluster at branch ends. They are green on both sides in summer, dark green above and pale below, and turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and maroon in fall.

Uses: Wetlands, Constant Moisture Issues, Stream and Riverbanks, Hedges, Mass Plantings

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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.

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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

Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society

Uses: Wetlands, Constant Moisture Issues, Stream and Riverbanks, Hedges, Mass Plantings

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