Native Azaleas

Azaleas are well-known in the South.  They're acid-loving plants that enjoy a bit of shade, and can be had in a wide array of colors--including white, pink, red, purple, and orange.  Less well-known are native azaleas, which thrive in the understory in southern hardwood forests.

Named cultivars have been developed; the only one I have seen in the wild is the Piedmont.  It's a pale pink and blooms early.  Native azaleas are tall and relatively spindly compared to their compact shrubby counterparts; they're deciduous versus evergreen.