Rhododendron Swamp Azalea

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