Sweet Azalea
Rhododendron arborescens
The last native azalea to bloom: intensely fragrant white flowers with red stamens in June and July, then brilliant scarlet fall foliage.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most fragrant native azalea, blooming after every other azalea has finished, with hummingbirds arriving on cue.
Sweet azalea is the last of the native azaleas to bloom in the Appalachians, opening white to pale pink flowers with long red stamens in June and July after the earlier azalea season has ended. The fragrance is intense and heliotropin-sweet, carrying across a garden on a warm afternoon in a way that stops you mid-step. Hummingbirds come for the long tubular flowers. Clearwing moths hover in the evening. It grows large for a native azalea, up to ten feet tall at maturity, with attractive multi-stem form and glossy, clean green foliage that turns brilliant scarlet in fall. It's naturally a stream bank and cool hollow plant, preferring consistently moist, acidic conditions. When you find the right spot, this is one of the most rewarding native shrubs you can grow: the fragrance alone justifies the space.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown sweet azalea propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 5–10 ft · 5–10 ft wide
- Bloom time
- June–July
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 4–7
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native range
- Appalachian mountains from Pennsylvania to Alabama along stream banks and mountain slopes
Care notes for sweet azalea.
Moist to wet, acidic soil in part shade to full sun with consistent moisture. Mulch heavily with pine bark or shredded leaves. Slow to establish; water regularly the first two to three seasons. Prune lightly after flowering if needed to shape; this is a slow grower so prune conservatively. Rhododendron-specific acidic fertilizer once a year supports establishment.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside sweet azalea.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.