Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Rhododendron flammeum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
R. flammeum 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 flammeum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8 (2009)
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Azalea speciosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH A monograph of azaleas: Rhododendron subgenus Anthodendron. (Wilson & Rehder, 1921)
Rhododendron speciosum
COMMON NAME:
Oconee Azalea
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm150422_392
April Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Often confused with R. calendulaceum, but that has glandular flower tubes, per American Azaleas (Towe, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm150422_393
April Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Leaves are usually dark green and shiny when young, per American Azaleas (Towe, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm210407_9290
April Spartanburg County SC
in cultivation
)
Sam Pratt sbp_20140414_093411
April Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Flowers emerge with the leaves, and colors range from yellow to orange to red, per American Azaleas (Towe, 2004).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Rhododendron flammeum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhododendron flammeum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Rhododendron flammeum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Azalea speciosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
A monograph of azaleas: Rhododendron subgenus Anthodendron. (Wilson & Rehder, 1921)
Rhododendron speciosum
1225
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, upland forests on slopes, ridges, stream bluffs, per Weakley's Flora
Native to South Carolina & Georgia
Uncommon in GA Piedmont & GA Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Yellow-orange/Orange-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) p029
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p084
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p200
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p245
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p168
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p216
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p105
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p171
- 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".