Appearance

Growth form

A twiggy evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub up to about 6.5 ft (2 m) tall.

Leaves

Small, 0.6–2 in (1.5–5 cm) long, oval to narrow and pointed.

Flowers

Flowers range from white to dark red.

Look-alikes

Satsuki azaleaRhododendron indicum

On a simple flower, Satsuki azalea has five stamens, while red azalea usually has ten. Double-flowered cultivars and hybrids may be impossible to identify from a flower photo alone.

Why they get mixed up · Older horticultural names often grouped the two species together.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• Mountains in its native range
• Potted cultivated forms in the US

Range

Native to China, Taiwan, Japan’s southwestern islands, and parts of Southeast Asia. In the U.S., it is cultivated and recorded in Florida parks.

Cautions

Cautions

Rhododendron leaves and flowers contain toxins and should not be eaten.

Name and classification

About the name

Older horticultural writing sometimes called this plant Indian azalea or Azalea indica, and used the name now given to the separate Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum). Many potted florist azaleas come from crosses between species, so flower color alone cannot tie them to this wild species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed