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Plant Profile

Orange Azalea (Rhododendron austrinum)

This shot is a closeup of the Florida Azalea blossoms, which are fragrant and appear before the leaves expand in the spring. The blossoms are gold/orange/yellow. Photo Credit: Johnny Randall

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Ericaceae
State: AL, FL, GA, MS
Nature Serve ID: 158199
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection: 01/01/1985

Description:

This species is an incredibly popular garden plant. It is known for its pleasant fragrance and its brightly colored flowers which range from cream to orange with red striping. It is widely available at plant nurseries in the south and at online stores. Not much is known about this plant in the wild, but it has been well studies by azalea breeders who have used it to produce extremely popular hybrids.

Where is Orange Azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Riparian habitats

Distribution:

Alabama, Florida (12 counties), Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina

States & Provinces:

Orange Azalea can be found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi

Which CPC Partners conserve Orange Azalea (Rhododendron austrinum)?

Polly Hill Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Assigned 03/29/19

The North Carolina Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Assigned 04/22/24

The Jones Center at Ichauway

Not Sponsored

Assigned 04/22/24

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Regional endemic; pressure on habitat. Locally common in northern FL, rare in GA, AL, and MS.

01/01/2010

Deer browsing (Jett 2002)

01/01/2010

Not known.

01/01/2010

None known.

01/01/2010

None known.

01/01/2010

Information is needed for all aspects of this species ecology and biology in the wild.