Azalea

I do like Azaleas

I do love them, also! :>)

wow thats a stunning one, it must be very happy there to have all those flowers!

Beautiful....

Stickitoffee:

Most of the Azaleas bloom like this in late winter, early-spring. I think they're southern Azaleas.

Dottydaisy2:

Thanks! :>)

Stunning

some of the azaleas we have [the smaller ones] are called japanese azaleas, but the one i have is possibly a rhodedendron ~ im never quite sure which is which.

This is a southern Indian Azalea. That's what grows best here.

how do you know which is a rhodedendron and which is an azalea?

I think Rhododendrons have much larger leaves and flowers. I'm not too familiar with Azaleas, Rhododendrons.

i think of it that way too but the labels/official names sometimes confuse me!

For some reason Azaleas and Rhododendrons are lumped together, not sure why?

nor me, its very confusing

This may explain a little.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea

I like all you tropicals.

thanks delonix, i thought this part was particularly useful:

'Azaleas differ from rhododendrons in being generally smaller and having one blossom per stem rather than blossom clusters'

Sticki, Delonix@ originally botanists divided genus Rhododendron into two branches - Rhododendron and Azalea. To the first group they categorized all evergreen, large leaved shrubs, as you said Delonix and to the second group they put all deciduous or partially deciduous shrubs from the genus R. In 1870 Russian botanist Maximowicz (definitely Jewish Russian according to the name) proved, that both groups belong in a strict botanic way into one, single genus Rhododendron. Since that time at least European botany accepts only this one genus. Unfortunately, commercial and gardening practice is permanently using the original nomenclature.
Beautiful Indian azalea, Delonix! I have planted one in my garden recently, but as you said, it loves hot and sunny weather, so I am not sure if it survive.

thanks katarina, the large leaved evergreen bit makes sense too!

I disagree with that definition, Sticki. I saw "azaleas" which look like clouds of flowers. I have two small azalease in the garden, you for sure saw the white one, if you remember. There are plenty of flowers on one branch, you even cannot see leaves. It looks in the garden like a white cloud.
This definition what you wrote refers more to large azaleas, but not all.

All the Azaleas which grow here are evergreen. I think that's maybe why they call them Southern Azaleas.