Azalea

Azalea

Botanical name: Rhododendron

Bloom type: Perennial 

Azaleas and rhododendrons are woody, evergreen or deciduous, rounded shrubs in the Ericaceae (blueberry) family. They are native to the United States and Asia and there are many cultivars and varieties, some native to North Carolina. They typically grow 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. The genus name derives from the Greek words rhodo, which means rose, and dendron, meaning tree. Their blooms attract humming birds.