FLAME AZALEA
			Rhododendron calendulaceum
	HOME Botanical Terms Lists: Master Plant List Flowering Times List Flowers by Color/Type Endangered Species List Habitat List Use the 'back' button on your browser to return, if necessary.		Pockets of these flowers starting in June are hard to miss on the Blue Ridge Parkway. FAMILY: Heath Family (Ericaceae) DESCRIPTION: A mostly evergreen 4-8 foot tall shrub that grows wide, 10-15 feet. It has clusters of tubular, vase-shaped flowers. Flowers vary in color from yellow to orange to bright red. FLOWERS: May to June HABITAT: Dry open woods, and mountain forest fringes and in the understory where it can get that filtered and dappled sunlight. OTHER INFORMATION: This is a native plant and naturally used as an ornamental locally and other places, as long as its placed in its favorite acid soil. There is some discussion that it actually might be an escapee plant from records in the 1700's. The moniker of flame comes from not only the bright color of these flowers, but if you catch them early enough in the season the unopened buds can look like orange-red candles. I've seen one or two of these plants actually blooming as late as mid-July ('99), but don't wait that long to get a picture of one of these striking flowers. I can't find much on azalea use among the indians - perhaps they only planted them in dense clusters around their brick teepees and clay-fired lawn gnomes. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: My observations about this plant can be found at: OFFSITE INFORMATION: If you're interested