February Plant of the Month: Native Azaleas

By Carol Williams

Nearly every manicured yard in our area includes an improved evergreen azalea, purchased from local nurseries as well as big box stores. However, we are also blessed by Alabama’s own native azalea that blooms in a long season in the wild and exudes its sweet fragrance in abundance. The native azaleas’ many colorful varieties can be found growing in every corner of the state, from the mudflats in the south to the steep hills in the north.  We can easily add these treasures to our own yards, purchasing at local nurseries as well as our Mobile Botanical Gardens semi-annual sales.  

Native Azalea