The aptly named Flame Azalea certainly lives up to its name, lighting up shaded woodlands in the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia with its brightly colored flowers. Ranging from orange to yellow to red, the classic azalea flowers cover the branches of this vase-shaped shrub every spring, playing off newly emerging leaves and adding tropical brilliance to shade gardens everywhere.
Conditions: Part shade; average moisture; acidic soil
Size: 4'-8' tall
Zone: 5 - 7
Wildlife Value: Flowers attract pollinators, including a pollen specialist (Andrena cornelli)
Photos: Ethan Kauffman, Samantha Nestory