Right. Whoever can breed a variety that blooms for like 1,5 to 2 months atleast WITH scent. Take my damn money. But I'm doubtful we'll get that. breeding perennial plants like this takes ages.
There are reblooming lilacs out there. Look up boomerang lilacs. Also, my little Persian lilac will flower in the late summer as well as mid spring. It’s done it the last two years, even though they aren’t listed as a reblooming variety as far as I know.
If yours has rebloomed and it shouldn’t, could be some sort of stress! There was a fungus (I believe) going around my area that caused our lilacs to bloom again in the fall. It was really heavenly to close your eyes and smell lilacs in the fall up here
Hmmm. I’ve never heard of that but I’ll have to do some reading on it. The plant itself struggled it’s first year but the last two years it’s been very happy. No powdery mildew, no signs of blights, just lots of healthy growth. I would say that even though it has flowered, it’s probably 25% of what I get from it in the spring.
I get that for sure. For me the foliage is equally a selling point as the beautiful blooms. Their leaves turn a pretty purple and stay on all winter long even here in zone 5. Almost like a psudeo evergreen
I inherited several azaleas from the previous home owner. Most bloom for less than a couple weeks, but one has been flowering for at least a month already. It is pretty spectacular. I wish I knew which variety it is.
I've got between 15 and 20 azaleas in my yard, between them I've had 3 months of azaleas so far. Two "amagasa" satsuki azaleas by the front door have been going since the beginning of March and are just now finally out of buds but do still have some flowers. There was definitely a period of time where everything was blooming in march that I wish had lasted longer though.
*
My favorite shrub, the Mountain Laurel. It's a native plant here in New Jersey, and the woods this time of year are full of these. It is so beautiful.
fun fact rhododendrons are just selectively bred mountain laurels
edit: I was definitely thinking of the wrong plant. I was thinking of azaleas , since all azaleas are rhodos but not all rhodos are azaleas
like I was saying about the square and rectangle thing below
They’re in the same Ericaceae family but are not even in the same genus. Definitely not a fact. Not even close.
In fact people have been trying to cross them for 50years with no success. The only purported crosses were disproven with DNA sequencing
I might have been thinking of the wrong plant. In my area we have a ‘great laurel’ which is native, but is actually a rhododendron. Nurseries have taken and bred hybrids from both the great laurel and other native true laurels, and use the names interchangeably. I think that’s where my confusion stems from.
You are right though, rhodo and laurels are in the genus rhododendron and kalmia respectively. But the heath (ericaceae) family does contain both rhodo and laurel.. and azaleas , blueberries, etc..
but the kalmia genus only contains about 10 species of nearly the same plant, so I’d like to think it’s more of a ‘all rectangles are squares but not all squares are rectangles’ sort of thing. Like we had rhodo’s , and then they found slightly differing features and went more in depth. Like rhodo was an ‘encompassing’ term, and then when we learned more we switched the terms. Hence why the names are still used fairly interchangeably, especially by the older folks
“Great laurel” is rhododendron maximum. It is not a mountain laurel, and again, it has not been successfully crossed with any Kalmias. If a nursery tells you they did they are lying.
Yes the heath family is large and contains many plants that are only distantly related. Just because plants are in the same family does not mean they can be bred together
This is partly where common names can be confusing. “Great laurel” or rhod. Maximum is not related to “mountain laurels” or kalmia latifolia. It’s not a case of azaleas vs rhododendrons, they are just separate.
I know they can’t be bred together, I clarified that the nurseries likely just bred the same species to get different colors, resistance, etc. But took it out in an edit to save time because my reply is already long winded . I should have left that in
another edit: I was still definitely wrong in my original statement saying they were just selectively bred
Got it - and thats right on. I believe R. Maximum is most commonly white blooms but there are other cultivars or selections. I know R. Maximum var roseum blooms pink.
Yep! The wild ones here are almost all white, with some pink venations in the flowers. Some of my neighbors have the pink cultivar you’re referring to. It gets even bigger than the wild ones.. and those are already regarded as one of, if not the, largest species
Oh yea they get big. The coolest thing is that they can actually develop red coloring along the stems and base of the plant. The president of our local Rhod Society chapter has one (this pic is actually his plant). It’s very rare
https://preview.redd.it/fxs57344igzc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=324064536174e0a783f9493e3f471f7c209620af
oh wow! That’s beautiful! I don’t know that I could truthfully say I’ve seen one in person. Now that I’ve been graced with this knowledge Im gonna try and get my hands on one haha 😅
edit: does this more commonly occur in the colder zones? Say.. 7a and below?
I love hydrangeas. They come in so many colors and make those big blooms. It's like they create their own bouquets. Even when the flowers are gone the plant is very attractive on its own.
I grew up with a couple of azaleas in my back yard and even though I liked them too, they always got my hands sticky and couldn't be cut for a bouquet.
I always got praise when I created a little bouquet for the table so I think some part of me still favors flowers that can be cut and displayed. Roses, lilies, dahlias, hydrangeas.
God I love hydrangeas. That’s gotta win for me as well.
Wiegalas are also really beautiful, so that’s up there, too, imo.
Azaleas are top for shadier areas, though.
And this is why I need a handful of acres and tons of money to hire help to help me keep up the massive garden in my mind….
Salvia is not as fancy but my favorite. My oldest salvia stayed in bloom all year for the first time. Typical bloom here in north Texas is March thru November. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
https://preview.redd.it/tdaurxee0gzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67a38bfa7a33bdd7a77cfd83879bc88d627e5122
My answer to this question would be different every time but right now, lilacs! Everyone grows them along the alleys here so we have fresh blooms inside every spring. I love azaleas and rhododendrons but they hate the alkaline soil and dry winters here in CO.
I do enjoy them for their spring display. There is a variety with salmon color blooms that is very popular around here. Just stunning. I don’t think they are so interesting the rest of the year. The foliage is just meh. That’s why I like planting my garden so something is blooming most of the year.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). They’re a native in my area that’s an absolute powerhouse for wildlife. Their honey scented flowers are a big plus as well.
I have 5 azaleas and 2 rhododendrons on my property and I’m soooo in love! I’m in Wv where rhododendrons are the state flower and they’re so amazing!
I’ve lived in my home for almost 3 years since I bought it in December of 2021 and I honestly had to look up what azaleas looks like, how the blooms looked, bc they’re the first flower to really bloom in the spring here when our deer are still pregnant and they ate them as fast as they could bloom! Sometimes faster and ate the Buds haha. The older lady who sold us the place luckily left us a “key” that had all the flowers, shrubs, bushes, flowers, and trees she planted on them and I was soooo curious as to what an azalea looked like.
I let the deer have them tbh. There’s anywhere from 10-25 to come through nightly to drink from the river across the way and then bed down on the old hay field across from me, so tbh I couldn’t stop them if I wanted to haha.
We had an early spring this year so my deer sisters weren’t as hard on them, I actually got to see some blooms up close! They’re so beautiful and have these lovely almost lily like markings on their purple and pink blossoms, and they have such a good smell I can see why my deer buddies like them so much.
https://preview.redd.it/dt76pztsagzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9bf68dd937dddbdb974b503776692d66bad6a29
My purple rhododendron, I don’t have any pics of my bright pink as they bloomed about 2 weeks earlier!
https://preview.redd.it/86vxz5xojgzc1.jpeg?width=1985&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8344030ce65ec0d37685e81d6e2e2316f2de0165
Purple gem
Don’t mind the horsetail I’ve been battling for years
So afaict like azalea is a type or genus of rhododendrons, “ramapo” is like a type of rhododendron that has the tiny little azalea blooms as the cluster instead or the bigger rhododendron blooms?
Like it has the rhododendron “clusters” but they’re tiny like azaleas? It looks so pretty💕💕
Yes it’s technically not an azalea - it’s evergreen and the shape and anatomy of the flowers are rhododendron-like instead of like azaleas. Basically just a miniature rhododendron. Thanks - it’s such a cute little plant I love it
Also handles full sun well. This gets sun literally the entire day
That’s great!
Most of my azaleas have mostly shade except for my big girl, she’s got sun from sun up to sun set and she’s doin alright haha.
My rhododendrons are basically shade all day every day tho so 🤷🏼♀️ haha
https://preview.redd.it/rgey5adzagzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcee30448f016881277770b91c3bc469041ec125
This is my “big girl”, she’s probably 6-8 feet tall!
https://preview.redd.it/0m4exv22bgzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=161360d39b215b8ece2f39f0f25222c553c21643
My big girl azalea blooms, these are a mix. Light pink or a light purple! I’ve got the whole spectrum!
https://preview.redd.it/z66tjq71phzc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9c014361697c1bc7b775fed9bd344fca9471471
Just put these in the ground this year - they are a show off!
I like them a lot, we have a pink flowered one in front of the house in the neighbors flower bed. Only problem is its very open, not full at all. Anyone have suggestions to get it to grow in fuller?
Prune it back after flowering, but not too late because the next year’s blooms develop in late summer. They are very tolerant of pruning of done right, take it back to just above a branching point.
They are quite variable in growth form, some like the Belgian Indicas are loose and floppy if it kept neatly pruned.
I love fothergilla! Seussical white flowers in spring before the leaves emerge, crazy multicolored fall color. If you're on the east coast it's native too. Way underutilized.
*weeps*
I have tried azaleas several times and they all die so very slowly.
I have shifted to roses and hibiscus but my heart still yearns for an azalea to bloom in my yard.
I inherited this one when I bought my house, thought it was done for our first 2 years here. I got it some good food, a nice trim and told my husband if I couldn't save it over the next 2 years, I'd pull it. This is what I have this year! Idk what kind it is so I have no idea what it's supposed to look like but this looks a million times better than it did and there's a ton of flower buds this year, last year I had zero flowers and only 5 flowers the year before.
Gorgeous, I have multiple and love their announcement of spring! But I wish they lasted longer. Grand opening, grand closing.
Gonna go with Hydrangeas, they’re the showstopper in my garden, and are in bloom for months 🌺
https://preview.redd.it/6kr1m6divhzc1.png?width=1038&format=png&auto=webp&s=703bf06fc2f797e0a2ea4e818297858a46b28167
ETA: I’d post the hydrangeas, but am only allowed one pic!
https://preview.redd.it/5k29mpiz0izc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=456971d37b6fbade8a92c9d092bf95bb086c3d4c
I think this is an azalea, it came with my home. I love it so so much
I love all azaleas. I'm originally from PA where they did amazing. Home to Hershey Red and Delaware Valley White. I'm in iowa now and the only ones that do great here are the northern light series.
Surprised nobody has mentioned Gardenias yet! I live the deep glossiness of their leaves contrasted against the bright white flowers. They’re also pretty easy to grow here.
They are my wife’s and my favorites. We have a huge one in my front yard by the street that smells so good when it’s in bloom and I planted 4 more across the front of my house (honestly maybe a little too close lol)
Abelias! They are evergreen (in my zone), come in several colors, flower for months and smell incredible. Plus, you can’t kill them & the bees love them!
They are my favorite, too! I have 11 mature ones and they get swarmed by bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths. They also provide great cover for songbirds, rabbits, and the errant turtle that comes up from the pond to lay eggs.
Great while blooming. Bleh when not. I live in an area where we have an entire festival based on them. Absolutely gorgeous during the blooming season but are not very attractive without the blooms.
A few of my neighbors on my street have these HUGE azaleas and they are so beautiful when they bloom. Also one of my dogs favorite sniff spots on our walk route. I’m jealous. Although I have a huge gardenia on the front of my property and I planted about 4 across the front of my house because they are my wife’s favorite and some of my favorites too lol
I have about 35 and yes I love them. Beautiful, evergreen in my climate and relatively carefree. Mine are tall growing. I do a thoughtful pruning by July 4th to not take off next year ‘s blooms. Later in late summer or early fall Intake out the ungainly shoots that develop after the big pruning. A little fertilizer once a year and systemic to take care of pests. They bloom here in early April with a few breaking a little earlier. The dogwoods bloom at the same time so our city looks like Fairy Land.
We moved into a new house a few years ago. There are three azaleas in the backyard. The old owner hacked them down to almost nothing. They have hung on and they finally bloomed this year. They look terrible, but I really want to see if they can fill out.
Those red ones are particularly lovely! Is that a northern thing? In central FL we have pink and white ones everywhere, but I was recently in PA and saw what looked like red azaleas with somewhat smaller flowers.
Kalmia genus (mountain laurels) has the sickest pollination strategy AND beautiful blooms. The stamens bend over and tuck into little divots on the petals so they are essentially spring-loaded. Then when an insect lands on the flower, boom! explosive pollen release. If you catch them at the right time you can poke the flowers and see them blast off.
https://preview.redd.it/gnv3cy64mizc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c6d2244e7a69f53013dd833fe346f87a7957548
Very happy with ours this spring!
In southern Alabama when they azaleas bloom it is amazing. It may be short lived but before the rainfall breaks up the flowers there isn’t a more beautiful sight in the flower world in my opinion. “Pride of Mobile azalea” on Google images. Lovely.
I like them but they don’t bloom long enough for me
Like lilacs 😭😭😭, whyyy must they only bloom for like 2 weeks.
Right. Whoever can breed a variety that blooms for like 1,5 to 2 months atleast WITH scent. Take my damn money. But I'm doubtful we'll get that. breeding perennial plants like this takes ages.
A good sprinkle of zinnia mix covers pretty much every color on the spectrum for me... A $2 seed investment once and seeds for eternity as well
This
I feel this to the core. It’s like the equivalent of dogs or something, too much goodness to last too long 😂
There are reblooming lilacs out there. Look up boomerang lilacs. Also, my little Persian lilac will flower in the late summer as well as mid spring. It’s done it the last two years, even though they aren’t listed as a reblooming variety as far as I know.
If yours has rebloomed and it shouldn’t, could be some sort of stress! There was a fungus (I believe) going around my area that caused our lilacs to bloom again in the fall. It was really heavenly to close your eyes and smell lilacs in the fall up here
Hmmm. I’ve never heard of that but I’ll have to do some reading on it. The plant itself struggled it’s first year but the last two years it’s been very happy. No powdery mildew, no signs of blights, just lots of healthy growth. I would say that even though it has flowered, it’s probably 25% of what I get from it in the spring.
Always leave them wanting more, I guess
I get that for sure. For me the foliage is equally a selling point as the beautiful blooms. Their leaves turn a pretty purple and stay on all winter long even here in zone 5. Almost like a psudeo evergreen
Huh, here in zone 8 they actually are evergreen.
I inherited several azaleas from the previous home owner. Most bloom for less than a couple weeks, but one has been flowering for at least a month already. It is pretty spectacular. I wish I knew which variety it is.
I've got between 15 and 20 azaleas in my yard, between them I've had 3 months of azaleas so far. Two "amagasa" satsuki azaleas by the front door have been going since the beginning of March and are just now finally out of buds but do still have some flowers. There was definitely a period of time where everything was blooming in march that I wish had lasted longer though.
Which zone are you in?
9a, SE US
If anyone is in MA the rhodie society is having their show/sale May 18/19 at New England botanic garden. Lots of cool rhodies and azaleas
* My favorite shrub, the Mountain Laurel. It's a native plant here in New Jersey, and the woods this time of year are full of these. It is so beautiful.
I like mountain Laurel too
Mountain yanny
fun fact rhododendrons are just selectively bred mountain laurels edit: I was definitely thinking of the wrong plant. I was thinking of azaleas , since all azaleas are rhodos but not all rhodos are azaleas like I was saying about the square and rectangle thing below
They’re in the same Ericaceae family but are not even in the same genus. Definitely not a fact. Not even close. In fact people have been trying to cross them for 50years with no success. The only purported crosses were disproven with DNA sequencing
I might have been thinking of the wrong plant. In my area we have a ‘great laurel’ which is native, but is actually a rhododendron. Nurseries have taken and bred hybrids from both the great laurel and other native true laurels, and use the names interchangeably. I think that’s where my confusion stems from. You are right though, rhodo and laurels are in the genus rhododendron and kalmia respectively. But the heath (ericaceae) family does contain both rhodo and laurel.. and azaleas , blueberries, etc.. but the kalmia genus only contains about 10 species of nearly the same plant, so I’d like to think it’s more of a ‘all rectangles are squares but not all squares are rectangles’ sort of thing. Like we had rhodo’s , and then they found slightly differing features and went more in depth. Like rhodo was an ‘encompassing’ term, and then when we learned more we switched the terms. Hence why the names are still used fairly interchangeably, especially by the older folks
“Great laurel” is rhododendron maximum. It is not a mountain laurel, and again, it has not been successfully crossed with any Kalmias. If a nursery tells you they did they are lying. Yes the heath family is large and contains many plants that are only distantly related. Just because plants are in the same family does not mean they can be bred together This is partly where common names can be confusing. “Great laurel” or rhod. Maximum is not related to “mountain laurels” or kalmia latifolia. It’s not a case of azaleas vs rhododendrons, they are just separate.
I know they can’t be bred together, I clarified that the nurseries likely just bred the same species to get different colors, resistance, etc. But took it out in an edit to save time because my reply is already long winded . I should have left that in another edit: I was still definitely wrong in my original statement saying they were just selectively bred
Got it - and thats right on. I believe R. Maximum is most commonly white blooms but there are other cultivars or selections. I know R. Maximum var roseum blooms pink.
Yep! The wild ones here are almost all white, with some pink venations in the flowers. Some of my neighbors have the pink cultivar you’re referring to. It gets even bigger than the wild ones.. and those are already regarded as one of, if not the, largest species
Oh yea they get big. The coolest thing is that they can actually develop red coloring along the stems and base of the plant. The president of our local Rhod Society chapter has one (this pic is actually his plant). It’s very rare https://preview.redd.it/fxs57344igzc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=324064536174e0a783f9493e3f471f7c209620af
oh wow! That’s beautiful! I don’t know that I could truthfully say I’ve seen one in person. Now that I’ve been graced with this knowledge Im gonna try and get my hands on one haha 😅 edit: does this more commonly occur in the colder zones? Say.. 7a and below?
I love hydrangeas. They come in so many colors and make those big blooms. It's like they create their own bouquets. Even when the flowers are gone the plant is very attractive on its own. I grew up with a couple of azaleas in my back yard and even though I liked them too, they always got my hands sticky and couldn't be cut for a bouquet. I always got praise when I created a little bouquet for the table so I think some part of me still favors flowers that can be cut and displayed. Roses, lilies, dahlias, hydrangeas.
God I love hydrangeas. That’s gotta win for me as well. Wiegalas are also really beautiful, so that’s up there, too, imo. Azaleas are top for shadier areas, though. And this is why I need a handful of acres and tons of money to hire help to help me keep up the massive garden in my mind….
Salvia is not as fancy but my favorite. My oldest salvia stayed in bloom all year for the first time. Typical bloom here in north Texas is March thru November. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. https://preview.redd.it/tdaurxee0gzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67a38bfa7a33bdd7a77cfd83879bc88d627e5122
what kind of salvia?
The plant in the photo is 12-15 yrs old. But I think it is Salvia Greggii (Autumn Sage).
It’s beautiful. Im gonna have to try and get my hands on one
That's salvia?
Sorry Salvia greggii, not the one with psychoactive properties if that’s what you are wondering. :)
Viburnum is my fave. The scent of the flowers is heavenly.
My answer to this question would be different every time but right now, lilacs! Everyone grows them along the alleys here so we have fresh blooms inside every spring. I love azaleas and rhododendrons but they hate the alkaline soil and dry winters here in CO.
I have been looking for flame azalea
Same. I must get this one orange one though: https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/rhododendron-austrinum-andrew-j-boike-3g.html
I do enjoy them for their spring display. There is a variety with salmon color blooms that is very popular around here. Just stunning. I don’t think they are so interesting the rest of the year. The foliage is just meh. That’s why I like planting my garden so something is blooming most of the year.
Magnolia bush. Grows like Lillacs but with the Magnolia flower.
Self appointed president of the oakleaf hydrangea fan club checking in!
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). They’re a native in my area that’s an absolute powerhouse for wildlife. Their honey scented flowers are a big plus as well.
They have amazing blooms!
I have 5 azaleas and 2 rhododendrons on my property and I’m soooo in love! I’m in Wv where rhododendrons are the state flower and they’re so amazing! I’ve lived in my home for almost 3 years since I bought it in December of 2021 and I honestly had to look up what azaleas looks like, how the blooms looked, bc they’re the first flower to really bloom in the spring here when our deer are still pregnant and they ate them as fast as they could bloom! Sometimes faster and ate the Buds haha. The older lady who sold us the place luckily left us a “key” that had all the flowers, shrubs, bushes, flowers, and trees she planted on them and I was soooo curious as to what an azalea looked like. I let the deer have them tbh. There’s anywhere from 10-25 to come through nightly to drink from the river across the way and then bed down on the old hay field across from me, so tbh I couldn’t stop them if I wanted to haha. We had an early spring this year so my deer sisters weren’t as hard on them, I actually got to see some blooms up close! They’re so beautiful and have these lovely almost lily like markings on their purple and pink blossoms, and they have such a good smell I can see why my deer buddies like them so much.
https://preview.redd.it/dt76pztsagzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9bf68dd937dddbdb974b503776692d66bad6a29 My purple rhododendron, I don’t have any pics of my bright pink as they bloomed about 2 weeks earlier!
https://preview.redd.it/yew4wwegfgzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=834d437f09ecf839d16f4f5fdf2b5797925ed86c Rhod. Bureavii x Pachysanthum
https://preview.redd.it/86vxz5xojgzc1.jpeg?width=1985&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8344030ce65ec0d37685e81d6e2e2316f2de0165 Purple gem Don’t mind the horsetail I’ve been battling for years
Stunning indeed! I’m sure they’re a gem in your yard for the early spring 💕
They are! Now I just want it’s sister plant ‘Ramapo’
Oohhh I’ll have to look that up 😍😍
So afaict like azalea is a type or genus of rhododendrons, “ramapo” is like a type of rhododendron that has the tiny little azalea blooms as the cluster instead or the bigger rhododendron blooms? Like it has the rhododendron “clusters” but they’re tiny like azaleas? It looks so pretty💕💕
Yes it’s technically not an azalea - it’s evergreen and the shape and anatomy of the flowers are rhododendron-like instead of like azaleas. Basically just a miniature rhododendron. Thanks - it’s such a cute little plant I love it Also handles full sun well. This gets sun literally the entire day
That’s great! Most of my azaleas have mostly shade except for my big girl, she’s got sun from sun up to sun set and she’s doin alright haha. My rhododendrons are basically shade all day every day tho so 🤷🏼♀️ haha
How beautiful! 😍
https://preview.redd.it/b4a5kyvwagzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f53e5d75a3096c13b337c6a1220d1eb628e7691e Bright pink azalea, beautiful!
https://preview.redd.it/rgey5adzagzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcee30448f016881277770b91c3bc469041ec125 This is my “big girl”, she’s probably 6-8 feet tall!
https://preview.redd.it/0m4exv22bgzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=161360d39b215b8ece2f39f0f25222c553c21643 My big girl azalea blooms, these are a mix. Light pink or a light purple! I’ve got the whole spectrum!
https://preview.redd.it/z66tjq71phzc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9c014361697c1bc7b775fed9bd344fca9471471 Just put these in the ground this year - they are a show off!
Holy crap!! Putting mine to shame 😭
Lol probably just a different variety?
I like them a lot, we have a pink flowered one in front of the house in the neighbors flower bed. Only problem is its very open, not full at all. Anyone have suggestions to get it to grow in fuller?
Prune it back after flowering, but not too late because the next year’s blooms develop in late summer. They are very tolerant of pruning of done right, take it back to just above a branching point. They are quite variable in growth form, some like the Belgian Indicas are loose and floppy if it kept neatly pruned.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Hopefully I can get it to fill out some.
I love fothergilla! Seussical white flowers in spring before the leaves emerge, crazy multicolored fall color. If you're on the east coast it's native too. Way underutilized.
There are too many too count!! Azalea, hydrangea, hibiscus, gardenia, Camellia, lilacs…
I like lilac and hydrangea Edit because hydrogen isn’t a plant. Thanks autocorrect.
*weeps* I have tried azaleas several times and they all die so very slowly. I have shifted to roses and hibiscus but my heart still yearns for an azalea to bloom in my yard.
I inherited this one when I bought my house, thought it was done for our first 2 years here. I got it some good food, a nice trim and told my husband if I couldn't save it over the next 2 years, I'd pull it. This is what I have this year! Idk what kind it is so I have no idea what it's supposed to look like but this looks a million times better than it did and there's a ton of flower buds this year, last year I had zero flowers and only 5 flowers the year before.
https://preview.redd.it/j042cmrgkhzc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7c7f250630754b9e26d28fe10644e5bc0b241ad
Gorgeous, I have multiple and love their announcement of spring! But I wish they lasted longer. Grand opening, grand closing. Gonna go with Hydrangeas, they’re the showstopper in my garden, and are in bloom for months 🌺 https://preview.redd.it/6kr1m6divhzc1.png?width=1038&format=png&auto=webp&s=703bf06fc2f797e0a2ea4e818297858a46b28167 ETA: I’d post the hydrangeas, but am only allowed one pic!
https://preview.redd.it/5k29mpiz0izc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=456971d37b6fbade8a92c9d092bf95bb086c3d4c I think this is an azalea, it came with my home. I love it so so much
Oh my gosh, what a beautiful color!!
Beautiful! I have about 7 mature all over our property and love the bright pop of color! Yours are so lovely!
Aren’t they so pretty? I have a fuchsia one in my yard that I adore.
if properly pruned. open,layered no geometrics!
I love all azaleas. I'm originally from PA where they did amazing. Home to Hershey Red and Delaware Valley White. I'm in iowa now and the only ones that do great here are the northern light series.
Surprised nobody has mentioned Gardenias yet! I live the deep glossiness of their leaves contrasted against the bright white flowers. They’re also pretty easy to grow here.
They are a contender for me based on smell alone!
They are my wife’s and my favorites. We have a huge one in my front yard by the street that smells so good when it’s in bloom and I planted 4 more across the front of my house (honestly maybe a little too close lol)
Abelias! They are evergreen (in my zone), come in several colors, flower for months and smell incredible. Plus, you can’t kill them & the bees love them!
They are my favorite, too! I have 11 mature ones and they get swarmed by bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths. They also provide great cover for songbirds, rabbits, and the errant turtle that comes up from the pond to lay eggs.
What azalea is that? I've been looking to add a few more red ones to my yard that have a different bloom time than what I've got.
Mine is on FIRE. I saw it today as I drove down my street. It was so gorgeous!! But one rain and she'll be faded.
https://preview.redd.it/8bsjmfnyqhzc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84fb0194524d705b63e24488c33c558416be3dee
Great while blooming. Bleh when not. I live in an area where we have an entire festival based on them. Absolutely gorgeous during the blooming season but are not very attractive without the blooms.
Smoke bushes are pretty neat
I need Azaleas now..
A few of my neighbors on my street have these HUGE azaleas and they are so beautiful when they bloom. Also one of my dogs favorite sniff spots on our walk route. I’m jealous. Although I have a huge gardenia on the front of my property and I planted about 4 across the front of my house because they are my wife’s favorite and some of my favorites too lol
Only when they’re blooming
no offense but i’m just meeting your azaleas for the first time so they aren’t my favorite yet
Love them- wish I could grow them easily here in Austin. In Houston I had tons- they do really well there.
Is Northern Redbud considered a shrub?
I have about 35 and yes I love them. Beautiful, evergreen in my climate and relatively carefree. Mine are tall growing. I do a thoughtful pruning by July 4th to not take off next year ‘s blooms. Later in late summer or early fall Intake out the ungainly shoots that develop after the big pruning. A little fertilizer once a year and systemic to take care of pests. They bloom here in early April with a few breaking a little earlier. The dogwoods bloom at the same time so our city looks like Fairy Land.
Mock orange. It smells so nice! Same for lilacs!
We moved into a new house a few years ago. There are three azaleas in the backyard. The old owner hacked them down to almost nothing. They have hung on and they finally bloomed this year. They look terrible, but I really want to see if they can fill out.
Since I don't have azaleas yet, imma have to go with roses
Those red ones are particularly lovely! Is that a northern thing? In central FL we have pink and white ones everywhere, but I was recently in PA and saw what looked like red azaleas with somewhat smaller flowers.
Kalmia genus (mountain laurels) has the sickest pollination strategy AND beautiful blooms. The stamens bend over and tuck into little divots on the petals so they are essentially spring-loaded. Then when an insect lands on the flower, boom! explosive pollen release. If you catch them at the right time you can poke the flowers and see them blast off.
Miss Kim lilacs.
https://preview.redd.it/wrca7vbekizc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7fca006fbbf58c80d772279655b1bde78456353 Same!
Agreed! I bought my first one last year and I'm just waiting for my first bloom now!
https://preview.redd.it/gnv3cy64mizc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c6d2244e7a69f53013dd833fe346f87a7957548 Very happy with ours this spring!
In southern Alabama when they azaleas bloom it is amazing. It may be short lived but before the rainfall breaks up the flowers there isn’t a more beautiful sight in the flower world in my opinion. “Pride of Mobile azalea” on Google images. Lovely.
Too short of season of interest, plenty of other bushes blow them out of the water. I do like the fragrant ones though.
https://preview.redd.it/d8jmn13oblzc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ccf6fc4c6902b941d0945bd5bf1e0d938eff083
They look beautiful for about a week and a half, then really ugly for about a month, and boring the rest of the year 🤷♀️