Rhododendron is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants and in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, but smaller numbers occur elsewhere in Asia, and in North America, Europe and Australia.
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus Rhododendron, particularly the former sections Tsutsusi (evergreen) and Pentanthera (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks. Shade tolerant, they prefer living near or under trees. They are part of the family Ericaceae.
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens(HKZBG) is one of the oldest zoological and botanical centres in the world, and the oldest park in Hong Kong. Founded in 1864, its first stage was opened to the public in 1871. It occupies an area of 5.6 hectares (14 acres) in Central, on the northern slope of Victoria Peak.
The Mobile Botanical Gardens were founded in 1974, and are located on Museum Drive in the Spring Hill community in Mobile, Alabama, United States.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a botanical garden located between Reed College and the Eastmoreland Golf Course in southeastern Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens is the only public botanical garden in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia specializing in Rhododendrons and Native Azaleas. The protected area encompasses 33.0 acres (13.4 ha) on land sloping to Lake Chatuge. Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge, Inc. was a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that successfully restored the garden and operated it for six years. Located near the city of Hiawassee, Georgia, the gardens have the largest collection of native azalea and rhododendron in the Southeast U.S.
Rhododendron luteum, the yellow azalea or honeysuckle azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to southeastern Europe and southwest Asia. In Europe, it occurs from southern Poland and Austria, south through the Balkans, and east to southern Russia; and in Asia, east to the Caucasus.
Rhododendron schlippenbachii, the royal azalea, is a species of Rhododendron native to the Korean Peninsula and adjacent regions of Northeast China, Japan, and the Russian Far East. It is the dominant understory shrub in many Korean hillside forests, growing at 400–1,500 m (1,300–4,900 ft) altitude.
Rhododendron kanehirai is a species of plant in the family Ericaceae. It was originally endemic to Taiwan. It has become extinct in the wild, though it still exists in cultivated form.
Caloptilia azaleella is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is endemic to Japan, but has been introduced worldwide, wherever there are Azaleas.
The Rhododendron-Park Bremen, also known as the Rhododendron-Park und Botanischer Garten Bremen, is the biggist collection of rhododendrons and azaleas worldwide, as well as a substantial botanical garden, located in Bremen, Germany. It is open daily; park admission is free but a fee is charged for the nature center Botanika.
Rhododendron section Tsutsusi was a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron, commonly referred to as the evergreen azaleas. In 2005 it was reduced to a section of subgenus Azaleastrum. Containing 80 - 117 species, it includes both deciduous and evergreen types and is distributed in Japan, China and northeastern Asia. They are of high cultural importance to the Japanese. Among the species in this genus lie the largest flowering azaleas.
Rhododendron prunifolium, the plumleaf azalea, is a wild azalea that grows only in a few counties along the Georgia–Alabama border in the Chattahoochee River Valley. It is considered the rarest azalea in the Eastern United States. Providence Canyon is one of the most popular places to view the plumleaf azalea in the wild.
Rhododendron mucronulatum, the Korean rhododendron or Korean rosebay, is a rhododendron species native to Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and parts of northern China. It is a deciduous shrub that grows to 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) in height, with elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate leaves, 3–7 cm long by 1–3.5 cm wide. The reddish-purple flowers appear in late winter or early spring, often on the bare branches before the foliage unfurls. It inhabits forested regions at 1,600–2,300 m (5,200–7,500 ft).
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum, the false-gold-flower rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to Taiwan. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub growing to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and broad. In spring, trusses of pink buds appear, opening to pale pink flowers spotted with deeper pink on the inner surface.
Camellia azalea, native to the Ehuangzhang Provincial Nature Reserve in Yangchun City, Guangdong, China, is a national first-class protected plant in China. The Chinese name of Camellia azalea is 杜鹃叶山茶/Rhododendron leaf camellia, because of its rhododendron-like leaf shape. Compared with other camellia species, the flower of Camellia azalea is more like Rhododendron, so it is commonly known as 杜鹃红山茶/Rhododendron red camellia. It is also commonly known as 四季紅山茶/Four Seasons Red Camellia or 四季茶花/Four Seasons Camellia, because it can flower throughout the year, July-September is the most prosperous period of flowering, which is different from the habit of Camellia flowering in winter.
Rhododendron yedoense, the Korean azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, with a disjunct distribution in northern Myanmar, Yunnan province in China, South Korea, and northern Kyushu island of Japan. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, it is recommended as a hedge, and has above average resistance to the root rot that often afflicts azaleas. Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense is a major parental contributor to many modern hybrid azaleas.
Rhododendron japonicum, the Japanese azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to Japan. A deciduous shrub reaching 8 ft (2.4 m) but usually half that, it is found in grasslands and open scrub, never in dense thickets or woodlands. It is very similar to the Chinese endemic Rhododendron molle, to the extent that its cultivars are customarily grouped with the cultivars of R. molle. It is popularly cultivated as a bonsai tree.
Rhododendron serrulatum, the hammocksweet azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is native to the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and possibly eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and Virginia. A deciduous shrub reaching 0.6 to 1.8 m, it is typically found in bogs, pocosins, and wet flatwoods.
Rhododendron cumberlandense, the Cumberland rhododendron or Cumberland azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. A deciduous shrub with red flowers reaching 6 ft (1.8 m), it is typically found growing on the Cumberland Plateau.
