Plumleaf azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium) is a native deciduous azaleas that indigenous to the Chattahoochee River Valley on the Georgia-Alabama line (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). The bright orange-red blooms surprise in late July to early August. Compared to many of the spring blooming species, flowers are not fragrant. Fall leaf color is uneventful.

This 5-8 feet tall and wide shrub is best protected from the harsh afternoon summer sun. It grows in well-drained, compost amended soil. Plumleaf azalea prospers in the East Tennessee and Western NC calcareous clay soils without pH correction. Irrigate plants their first two years of establishment and they will reward you over many summers. Set the shrub into a wide, shallowly dug hole which has been generously amended with compost and/or peat; maintain 2-3 inches of an organically-based mulch around the shrub base.

Plumleaf azaleas are usually available from mail order companies on-line. It is best to purchase and plant them by late spring so that their fine shallow rootsystem becomes deeply knitted into the soil before winter arrives.

Plumleaf azalea is the signature plant of Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia where I purchased the first of three in my Tennessee garden. It is a frequent parent cross with other azalea species.

Prune shrubs anytime after blooming to maintain desired height and spread. Plumleaf azaleas bloom on new current season’s wood.