Plumleaf Azalea

Rhododendron prunifolium

Plumleaf azalea is extraordinary for one reason: it blooms in July and August, later than any other native azalea and at a time when hummingbirds are actively feeding before fall migration. The flowers are a vivid orange-red to red, large for a native azalea, with long protruding stamens and a shape that's clearly designed for a long-tongued bird visitor. When a hummingbird works this plant, you understand exactly why the flower looks the way it does. It's endemic to a tiny area of the Flint River drainage in southwestern Georgia. one of the most geographically restricted native plants in eastern North America, growing naturally in cool, moist ravines. In a garden, it needs similar conditions: shade, consistent moisture, and acidic soil. But when those conditions are met, it's one of the most spectacular late-season shrubs available in any nursery, native or otherwise.