Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Rhododendron prunifolium
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
R. prunifolium is a member of what the Azalea Society of America refers to as "the orange-to-red group". Read more here.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhododendron prunifolium
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8 (2009)
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Azalea prunifolia
COMMON NAME:
Plumleaf Azalea
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm160727_452
July Haywood County NC
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
)
Sam Pratt sbp_3293
July Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
The dark green leaves emerge very early and are relatively large, per American Azaleas (Towe, 2004).
)
Sam Pratt sbp_3296b
July Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Leaf margins entire, plane, ciliate, eglandular-hairy, apex acute to obtuse, per Flora of North America.
)
Sam Pratt sbp_3296c
July Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_3307
July Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
)
Will Stuart wil_14543237977
August Mecklenburg County NC
UNCC Botanical Garden
Flower tubes are glabrous, or nearly so, which aids in identification, per American Azaleas (Towe, 2004).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Rhododendron prunifolium
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhododendron prunifolium
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Rhododendron prunifolium
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Azalea prunifolia
1230
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Mesic ravine forests and streambanks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to Georgia
Rare, endemic to a small area along AL-GA border
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Orange-red/Red
Slightly bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed funnelform corolla
5 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- American Azaleas (Towe, 2004) p031
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p084
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p220
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p108
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p297
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p291
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".