Pinxterbloom Azalea

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Pinxterbloom azalea is named for the Dutch word for Pentecost. the spring religious holiday around which it blooms in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In late April and early May, clusters of pale to deep pink tubular flowers open before the leaves emerge, covering the bare stems in a display that's part wild and part ethereal. The flowers are lightly fragrant. Hummingbirds returning from migration arrive to find this plant waiting for them. It's one of the most shade-tolerant native azaleas, growing naturally along woodland paths and into the canopy understory with more success than most of its relatives. In the garden, it works at the edge of a shade garden or in dappled light under open woodland. conditions that would stress more sun-demanding azaleas. A natural, graceful shrub that rewards the right placement with one of spring's finest bloom shows.