Flame Azalea

Plant type: deciduous shrub
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 to 7( 8)

One of the most beautiful native shrubs, flame azalea produces showy trusses of trumpet-shaped flowers in mid- to late spring. Blooms come in shades of lemon to dark yellow as well as apricot, salmon pink, orange and red. The individual flowers, which are two inches wide and 2-1/2 inches long, are very slightly fragrant and carried in loose clusters. Flame azalea's oval leaves sometimes turn muted shades of yellow or red in fall. At maturity, plants are eight to 15 feet wide and spread from five to eight feet.

Cultivation: Give flame azalea full sun to light shade and acid soil that is rich in organic matter. Plants are native to moist woods and stream banks in the eastern U.S. mountains and don't tolerate hot summer weather. Prune plants as necessary immediately after flowering.

How to use it: Use flame azaleas in wildflower gardens or shrub borders, either planted singly or arranged in large, showy masses.